Hearts of Vengeance
by Heartless Nobody
Summary: Post KH2 Roxas and other Nobodies have been granted hearts, and a new life in the new Twilight Town. But Roxas' new life is not all peaceful what with Namine and Olette pining for his love, and a vengeful Marluxia howling for his blood.
1. From Nobody to Somebody

(Once when I tried a KH chap fic, it didn't turn out so well… However, I'm here to give it another shot! This is an AU fic that starts off with an alternate ending to KH 2 that takes place RIGHT after Sora and Riku give the killing blow to Xemnas. What is it you ask? Read on and find out. I don't own KH, Final Fantasy, or any of the Disney charas.)

CHAPTER 1

Reaching out for nothing, as if it would save him, Xemnas helplessly faded into darkness…with it, the legacy of Xehanort with him.

Sora and Riku both felt a huge sense of accomplishment and relief as the leader of Organization disappeared into nothing. But those feelings were soon replaced with ones of fear and dreading, as an army of Dusk Nobodies surrounded them. Taking up their Keyblades once again, the two prepared for another battle. However, something completely different happened. Sparkling light suddenly filled the entire dimension, and caused Sora and Riku to look up the ceiling. Suddenly, a small shower of hearts from Kingdom Hearts rained down upon the field. At first, Sora and Riku were worried in case they now had a swarm of heartless to contend with as well. But that swarm never came.

The Dusks opened up their mouths and started to swallow up the sparkling hearts, and as they did their forms began to glow brightly. The more hearts they swallowed, the brighter they glowed until the entire dimension was filled with bright light, causing Sora and Riku to avert their eyes. When the light finally died down, the Nobodies were gone. In their place there stood living, breathing, feeling human beings who were looking around and at each other in wonderment

"What!?" Sora gawked at the people before them. "H-How did they…?"

"Become human again?" Riku finished the question. "I have NO idea… It must've been to do with that rain of hearts. They found suitable vessels in the Nobodies, and thus didn't become Heartless."

"Oh I get it!" Sora snapped his fingers. "So it's like the Heartless and Nobodies fused back together with a heart, and thus they became human again!"

"Seems like it." Riku agreed.

THAT WOULD BE AN ACCURATE ASSUMPTION MY DEAR CHILDREN…

Sora jumped slightly. "Who…Who's there!?"

I…AM THE ESSENCE AND SPIRIT OF KINGDOM HEARTS. The voice echoed. SORA…RIKU… THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS, CHIVALRY AND YOUR DEDICATION. BECAUSE OF YOU, KINGDOM HEARTS HAS BEEN SAVED AND PROTECTED FROM BEING MISSUSED FOR ORGANIZATION XIII'S EVIL. As the voice spoke, the former Nobodies, turned human, vanished. FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSE, SORA AND RIKU, EACH OF YOU SHALL BE GRANTED A BOON. YOU MAY EACH ASK OF ME A SINGLE WISH.

Sora already new what he wanted to wish for, but Riku beat him to it, by declaring the exact same wish.

"I wish that Sora and I can return to Destiny Islands, and be reunited with our friends." Riku said.

IT SHALL BE DONE… The voice replied. SORA? WHAT DO YOU DESIRE?

Sora was at a loss. Riku had already requested the desire they both wanted. What else could they possibly want? But then Sora remembered something from Xemnas' speech, right before they battled him, and new the wish he should make. He took a deep breath. "I wish… I wish for the Nobodies to have hearts, and to live their lives as normal human beings, in their own world." Suddenly, Sora and Riku found themselves floating in mid air, glowing with golden light, as a doorway of light appeared, showing the faces of Kairi, Donald, Goofy and Mickey, smiling waving and awaiting them.

YOUR DESIRES SHALL BE FULLFILLED… The voice spoke as the room vanished into nothingness, and Sora and Riku were drawn right into the door of light, right into the arms of their loved ones.

When the light had died down, Sora and Riku found themselves standing in the shallow waters of the shores of destiny Islands.

"SORA!" Sora was suddenly tackle hugged by Donald and Goofy, and the trio fell about laughing and hugging each other.

"RIKU!" Riku was met with a tackle hug from Mickey, but managed to stay on his feet as he returned the hug.

After the brief bit of male bonding, Sora stood up from the shore, to see Kairi's smiling face looking at him with utter joy. "Kairi… I made it back to you, just like I promised I would." He took his hand in hers. "I'll never leave you behind again…"

"Oh Sora…" Kairi said, with tears of joy in her eyes, before firing out and grabbing Sora in a fierce, yet loving kiss.

Sora wasted no time and let his emotions take control, as he kissed Kairi back just as lovingly…

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of "The World that Never Was," which now had become a part of Twilight Town, the two former Nobodies of Sora and Kairi were opened their eyes, and saw each other standing in front of one another. They wasted no time in meeting each other in a tight warm embrace as they wrapped their arms around the other.

After what seemed like forever, Roxas pulled away, and looked into Namine's light blue eyes. "Naminé… Is this…Is this real?" He asked with a hopeful smile.

"It is…" Naminé said with a smile, as she wiped her eyes. "Sora… He gave us all a chance to live our own lives…to be our own people." She hugged Roxas tightly.

Roxas returned the hug and snuggled Naminé in his arms. "I was right…" He said with a smile. "He really does make a good 'other.' He's proven it to me…to us, once again."

All around the couple, Nobodies were swallowing up hearts, turning into real human beings, and looking at everything around them, as the people already in the original Twilight Town started to come in and explore this new part of their world, just in time to see the strange white creatures become just like them.

Roxas observed this all with a smile. "The World that Never Was…and Twilight Town… They've become one world now, haven't they?"

"And the Nobodies are becoming real people…including us…" Naminé said happily. "I can feel it inside…"

"Me too…" Roxas said, putting a hand to his chest. "We…We finally have hearts… And it feels so good." He looked up into the sky. 'Sora… Thank you for everything.'

"Hey Roxas! Naminé!" A deep voice called out.

Roxas turned around to the source of the voice with Naminé, and what he saw made his face break out into a grin. "Axel!"

Axel, another former Nobody and member of Organization XIII much like Roxas, stood before the couple smiling with his arms folded. He was no longer dressed in his usual attire of the Organization XIII hooded cloak. Instead, from the waist down he was dressed in black combat pants and brown hiking boots, and from the waist up he wore a long white coat without a shirt underneath, exposing his bare chest. "Don't tell me you guys forgot about me again?" He said with sarcasm.

Roxas just laughed. "Not this time, old friend." He and Naminé were soon both caught up in a massive bear hug from Axel.

"Didn't I tell ya, Roxas? We'd all meet again in the next life…and here we are!" Axel said happily as he hugged the two teens.

Roxas and Naminé both returned the hug as more and more Nobodies around them became human. "The World the Never Was" was no longer a non existent world, but now it and Twilight Town were one, whole, complete world as the darkness began to lift, giving way to brilliant sunlight.

"It's a miracle…" One former Nobody said as his white husk of a form gave way to the form of a middle aged, mustachioed man.

"We…have hearts again!" A Nobody turned young blond woman said as she put her hands to her chest and blissfully smiled.

"I never thought I'd see the day…" Another former Nobody, now healthy looking elderly man said as he raised his hands to the sky.

"ROXAS! ROXAS!"

Roxas, Naminé, and Axel turned around to see none other than Hayner, Pence and Olette running towards them, waving and hollering. Obviously their memories of Roxas had been returned as part of Sora's wish, and now they ran to greet their once long forgotten friend, and his new acquaintances.

"Roxas! So this is where you've been hiding from us this whole time?" Hayner joked.

"Roxas, we've missed you!" Olette ran up and hugged Roxas tightly, earning a blush from the blonde haired boy.

Naminé watched Roxas and Olette hug each other, and couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of jealousy at how close they seemed.

"Hey, Roxas? Who's this girl?" Pence said, addressing Naminé. "Did you get yourself a girlfriend and not tell us?"

Now it was Olette's turn to get jealous as she turned to the blushing Naminé and studied her warily.

Roxas just laughed. "These are some old friends of mine; Naminé and Axel." He introduced his two old friends to his 3 newer ones. The formalities seemed to go well as everyone introduced themselves, although Naminé and Olette seemd to cast each other some suspicious glances when the other wasn't looking, each thinking 'How does she know Roxas?'

Elsewhere, deep inside of Ansem's Mansion, a lone heart had somehow drifted into the basement laboratory, and had given life once again to a long forgotten Nobody. However, amazement, joy, and wonderment was the last thing on this person's mind. Draped in a black Organiazation cloak, the man walked up to Ansem's computer, and observed the many screens, which went on in Twilight Town, including the district that was formerly "The World that Never Was." He seemed to stare intently at the images of Roxas, Naminé, and Axel, and brought up one hand which tightened into a fist. "So…they too gained hearts and were allowed a second chance to live… Well…they should not celebrate their new lives just yet. For when I find them, they'll wish they had stayed banished in the darkness!"

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. A Day in the New Life

(Uh oh… Looks like Roxas and Axel aren't the only Organization members alive now. Who could that cloaked figure be? I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Square Enix's characters. Oh, and as stated in the synopsis and in the first chapter, there will be a Naminé/Roxas/Olette love triangle. Which girl will Roxas end up with? Please vote and tell me which girl YOU think he should end up with.)

CHAPTER 2

Morning came upon Twilight Town. The warm sun shone right through Roxas' open window, its light and heat beaming down upon his sleeping form. Once again, Roxas was dreaming about that day, 1 year ago, brought about by his other half's wish. Because of that one wish…Roxas and the other Nobodies all had become whole again, received hearts, and could once again lead normal lives. Roxas would never forget that day, for as long as he lived. Yawning, stretching, and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he set his feet over the side of the bed and down onto his floor, before standing up from his bed. It was ironic, how 1 year ago this very life that he had been leading was all an illusion, and that he was never meant to exist, having been one half of another person. But now, it was because of that other person, that Roxas was leading this life, or at least a similar life, for real. Besides, real or fake, the people he knew in this world were much more pleasant company than his associates from Organization XIII, save for Axel (as he was the only member who Roxas truly got along and had a bond with). Roxas turned back to his bed, and looked at what was mounted on the wall above his bed; the "Oblivion" and "Oathkeeper" Keyblades, Roxas' weapons of choice, as being Sora's Nobody allowed him to wield the Keyblade's power like Sora could. Now that there was peace, Roxas kept both Keyblades mounted as souvenirs, since he didn't think he would have to wield them again. Putting that out of his mind, he turned to his drawer and started to dig around inside for his street clothes.

Walking out of his house, Roxas remembered that he'd promise Olette he'd go shopping with her this morning. Hayner was busy practicing for the next Struggle competition, while Pence had wandered off somewhere downtown and couldn't be found, so Roxas agreed that he'd spend time with Olette this morning. He headed down the orange brick road of the Alleyway, which parted at a fork with the left way leading right to the Sandlot and the right way leading into the "Usual Spot," where Roxas would hang out with Hayner and the gang. He stopped right before the street lamp in the alleyway, and turned to the direction of the "Usual Spot" off to the right. "Olette said she'd be waiting for me inside…" He said to himself as he walked inside, pushing away the curtain that covered the entrance.

Olette lay on the sofa, humming a sweet tune to her self as she looked up at the ceiling. She looked at her watch as she waited for Roxas. "5 minutes to go…" She said to herself. At that moment she heard footsteps, and the rustling of the curtain. She turned to the entrance just in time to see Roxas walk inside. Kicking her feet over, Olette sat up to look at Roxas. "Hey, right on time!" She smiled sweetly. "You ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Roxas smiled back. "Whoa!" He yelped in surprise as Olette snatched him up by the arm, giggling.

"Let's go!" Olette said as she dragged Roxas along gently out of the Usual Spot and into the direction of the Market Place.

"Olette?" Roxas asked.

"Hm?"

Roxas started to smirk. "Why are you so giggly and happy today? Have you been eating too much sea-salt ice cream again?" He laughed, and was met with a soft affectionate punch in the ribs.

"Oh you." Olette giggled. '"I'm just happy to be spending some time with you. You've either been sparring with Hayner, or sightseeing with Pence most of the time, and we've never really spent any time with one another." Olette looked at Roxas. "I mean, I really want us to connect and some time with one another, you know?" She gave him a cute, pleading look, complete with puppy dog eyes.

Roxas blushed slightly at the sad puppy look Olette was giving him as whenever a girl gave him those eyes, it always caused him to cave in, especially if Olette or Naminé gave them. "Ok, ok, I get you…" Roxas waved his hands with a nervous smile.

Olette's sad puppy look was replaced by another cute grin as she took Roxas' hand and gently pulled him along to the market place. "C'mon! I heard they're having a big sale at the sweet shop!" She grinned wider. "We can get some sea-salt ice cream!"

An hour later…

Roxas and Olette, both with two shopping bags in one hand and a sea-salt ice cream in the other, were resting on a bench in the Sandlot, taking a break and enjoying their ice cream.

For Roxas, the shopping trip wasn't all that half bad. On a big, unexpected turn, Roxas was brought into the swimwear store and watched as Olette tried on bikinis and modeled them for him. 'Damn… I never knew Olette had a body like that. She's really been filling out in all the right places.' The one image that stuck out in Roxas' mind was the image of Olette in a skimpy yellow bikini with blue polka dots, and how it just barely seemed to contain her maturing curves. Roxas felt himself go all hot and flustered when he imagined Olette on the beach, bouncing about in the water in that bikini, giggling and splashing.

"Hey there, Chicken-Wuss."

Roxas growled as the obnoxious voice of Seifer, self-proclaimed head of the "disciplinary committee," and (to Hayner and Roxas especially) number one asshole to Roxas and his friends, interrupted his pleasant day dream of Olette in her bikini. 'Damn it… Thanks a lot, Seifer…' Roxas looked up to see Seifer leering down at him with his usual, high and mighty smirk.

"Well…well… If it isn't Roxas, and his little girlfriend." Seifer teased.

Roxas and Olette both jumped up, blushing with embarrassment and fury at Seifer. "We're just friends!"

"Whatever you say, Lovebirds." Seifer snickered nastily. "So… Come to watch me practicing on how I'm gonna whoop your ass in the next Struggle competition?"

Roxas snorted. "You always say that every year, and every year you get your ass handed to you."

Seifer growled and shot back. "I wasn't ready last year!"

"You always say THAT too." Roxas smirked. Oh, how he loved sticking it to the toque wearing blowhard. "Yet nothing seems to deflate your ego…unless you actually have your ego do all the talking."

Olette burst into a fit of giggles at Roxas' remark towards Seifer.

Seifer shook with rage at Roxas' words and pointed his star edged struggle sword at him. "Grrr! Just you wait Chicken-Wuss!" Seifer walked off to the side, getting right between Roxas and Olette, as he faced the former. "You may laugh now!" He swung his struggle sword all about. "But someday, I'm gonna wipe that smirk of your face, and mop the floor with you!" He brought down his sword swiftly on the side…catching it right in Olette's button fly jeans.

Before Olette could react, Seifer's struggle sword has caught on her jeans, popping off all of her buttons, and brought her jeans right down to her ankles, exposing her blue, frilled panties to the world. Olette merely gasped froze in place, a look of shock and embarrassment on her face as she blushed all over and tried in vain to conceal her panties.

While Seifer didn't notice, Roxas sure did. His eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as he stared at Olette's little blue panties. 'Whoa… Blue's a good color for her…especially with those frills.' Suddenly realizing what he was doing, Roxas' gentleman side kicked in and he turned away even though the image of a blushing Olette in just her tank top and frilly panties was now carved into his memory. Once again he was jarred out of a fantasy, but this time by a loud slapping sound. He whipped his head around to find Olette, still with her pants down, but with her fists balled up and an evil glare in her eyes, as she stood there, panties out to the world, over an unconscious Seifer who lay out on the pavement, with a hand print on his face, bleeding, and dizzy. "That's what you get for pantsing me, you clumsy oaf!" She turned away from Seifer in a huff.

'Way to go Olette.' Roxas thought with a smirk, before his eyes began to once again transfix themselves on Olette's round, curvy, panty-clad rear, down to her slender shapely legs. Roxas mentally slapped himself again. 'Agh! C'mon Roxas, you're not a pervert! Quit staring at Olette like that! …Even if she is pretty to look at…'

"Roxas…" Olette called out timidly.

Roxas snapped out of it and went to her. "Olette! Are you ok…?"

Olette timidly looked at Roxas, a large blush on her face. "Can…you take me home? Sorry to cut our trip short…but I need to fix my pants up." She bent over and struggled to keep her pants up despite the fact they no longer had any buttons.

Roxas nodded, trying not to stare at Olette's panties, and helped to keep her pants up as he walked her back home.

When they reached Olette's house, Olette took out her key and used her other hand to hold her pants together as she unlocked and opened the door.

"So…Olette?" Roxas spoke dup, trying to break the awkward silence. "Can we reschedule the shopping trip?"

Olette, still blushing, smiled and nodded. "That'd be great, Roxas. Thanks for being a good sport about this whole thing." She clasped her hands together in glee, causing her pants to drop again, once more giving Roxas an eyeful of her filly panties.

Roxas blushed madly and his eyes went wide as he stared at Olette's intimates.

Olette noticed Roxas' flustered look and looked down, to see her jeans at her ankles again, with her panties out. "Ack!" Olette blushed 3 shades as she scrambled inside and closed the door.

Roxas shook his head, trying to get his senses back, before he turned around and walked off. "Well… That was an odd morning…" Roxas said to himself. 'But it was pretty eventful.' He thought. Oh, how he loved seeing Seifer getting his ass handed to him in the manner that Olette did it. He HAD to tell Hayner next time. 'Maybe that'll deflate Seifer's ego.' However his mind went from Seifer's bloodied body to more tantalizing images of Olette in just her tank top and frilly panties, or in that bikini.

"Hey Roxas!"

'Someone must hate me having fantasies…' Roxas laughed mentally as he looked up, to see Axel leaning against the lamp post. "Oh, hey Axel! What's up?"

Axel had an amused grin on his face. "I just caught Seifer recovering from one massive bitch slap. The guy was bleeding from the nose and had quite the hand print on his face. I gotta say, it looked like he had some concussion there." He started to smirk. "Got it memorized? C-O-N-C-U-S-S-I-O-N."

Roxas rolled his eyes. 'Axel hasn't changed a bit… He still loves to spell out the word for you.' "Axel… You keep spelling out the words for us...and pretty soon you'll be getting a job offer as Spelling and English Teacher for the local grade school."

"Oh, you didn't know?" Axel asked with a smile. "I just came back from the school a few minutes ago from a job interview. You're looking at the new Grade 1 English Teacher for Twilight Town Elementary." He grinned.

Roxas slapped his forehead with a groan. "Axel…" He laughed. "I knew it… I kept saying that it would happen one day…and sure enough, it did."

"And I owe it all to you." Axel pointed out with a smug smile.

"Happy to be of service." Roxas retorted.

"So… What have YOU been up to this morning?" Axel said, changing the subject.

"I went on a shopping trip with Olette, and got to witness Seifer's concussion first hand." Roxas shrugged with a smile.

"Aha… So you whooped his ass in a Struggle match, eh?" Axel inquired.

Roxas merely shook his head, trying not to snicker. "Not exactly… You see… Seifer started to show off like the blowhard he is, and one wrong move caused him to de-pants Olette." He burst into laughter. "She-was-pissed! One slap from her, and Seifer was down for the count!"

Axel nearly doubled over with laughter. "HAHAHAHAHA! I bet Hayner would've loved to see that!"

"I'm telling him the next time I see him, that's for sure." Roxas laughed.

Suddenly, Axel stopped and looked at Roxas with a curious grin. "So you say Olette had her pants pulled down?" He grinned wider. "What panties did she have on?"

"AXEL!!" Roxas blushed. "What do you think I am some kind of pervert!?" He glared at his best friend and colleague, before softening his gaze and looking away rather embarrassed. "Blue silk panties with frills."

"Oooooh, sexy!" Axel gave a perverted smile.

"Sexy, maybe…but she's also a little too young for you, you cradle robber." Roxas chided.

"Hey, hey! I never said I fancied her!" Axel said dismissively, waving his hands. "I'd rather not go to jail." He laughed nervously.

Roxas just smirked. "Like the time you were in for one night for streaking through the streets?"

"I was drunk!" Axel defended himself.

"I know." Roxas groaned. "I watched you down that bottle of scotch as if it were soda pop…"

"Well you were the one who double dared me too!"

"You didn't have to take the dare!"

Axel just smirked cockily. "I NEVER turn down a challenge."

"Uuuuuuuugh…" Roxas groaned, putting a hand to his forehead. "I just can't win against you Axel."

"Try as you might." Axel retorted, wagging a finger at Roxas, with another smug grin.

As Axel and Roxas playfully argued and bantered, their moves were carefully watched by the same Organization member who had watched them on the day that Twilight Town and "The World that Never Was" became one. His eyes narrowed as he listened to them enjoying themselves. "Look at them…my former "colleagues." They're so relaxed and content…enjoying their life." He growled. "It makes me so pissed off!" He thrust a hand out and, in a swirl of flower petals, a long scythe with a pink blade appeared in his hands. "Roxas… He's the Nobody of the one who defeated me, and cost me EVERYTHING! And Axel…" The man shook with rage and tightened his grip on his scythe. "Axel! Just hearing his name makes my blood boil!! Everything was going according to plan until HE stepped in! The organization was in my grasp and so was the Keyblade, but Axel had to mess everything up!!" The more the man thought, the angrier he became…and the angrier he became, the more he wanted vengeance.

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Stirrings Within

(Time for another chappie! Time to check out what else Roxas is getting up to. Now who could that cloaked man be? (As if we didn't know.) Something sinister is on the way…but the question is, WHEN will it happen? I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Never have, never will.)

CHAPTER 3

Roxas and Axel walked side by side as they headed for the former Mysterious Mansion, which was once the house and base of operations for Ansem the Wise—the REAL Ansem, not the imposter, Xehanort. Nowadays, Naminé, who had once occupied a single room, had made the whole mansion her own home. Her lifestyle was a pretty comfortable one, since she made plenty of money as an up-and-coming artist. The funny thing was that as soon as she had finished redecorating the mansion, she had given Roxas a spare key, saying, "You can come visit me or use the mansion whenever you want."

"Anytime you want, huh?" Axel remarked when Roxas told him. "You know…if a girl gives you her house key and tells you to 'come any time,' it's gotta mean something." He waggled his eyebrows at the blonde Keybearer.

"Oh, come off it, Axel!" Roxas defended himself. "Naminé and I are just friends! She's just a very sweet girl, you know?"

"Yeah, I know…" Axel trailed off as he looked up to the sky, just smiling and not looking convinced.

Roxas sighed and shook his head. 'Always getting the wrong impression…' he thought as they reached the front gates, which appeared to be locked. "Locked up, hm? Not for long." Roxas held out his right hand, and the fabled "Kingdom Key" Keyblade materialized. He pointed it towards the gate's Keyhole and a beam of light shot from the Keyblade into it, instantly unlocking the gate and causing it to swing right open. Stowing the Kingdom Key away, Roxas walked right inside, Axel close behind.

"Didn't the rumor about this place say that it was haunted?" Axel asked, remembering the old rumors about the place, from Pence…

"Those were just rumors," Roxas explained. "The 'Ghost Girl' was really Naminé standing by the window. And even if it wasn't her, don't worry. As long as we don't see any singing busts, we'll be cool," he added with a smirk.

Axel snickered a little at that. "Ok then…" As he walked with Roxas to the front door, he looked all around at the statue heads in the garden. He started to sing to himself, imagining them coming to life and singing: "When the crypt goes creak, and the tombstones quake, spooks come out for a swinging wake. Happy haunts materialize, and begin to vocalize. Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize."

Roxas cast Axel a slightly strange look in response to his song, then turned back to the door. He reached into his pocket, took out a regular key, and inserted it into the lock; he turned the key and pushing the door open.

"WHOA!"

"AGH!"

Roxas and Axel stumbled back as their eyes were bombarded with blinding white light. "Roxas, I'm blind!" Axel exclaimed as he squinted against the brightness of the entire hall.

"You too? Geez, I may never like the color white ever again after this!" Roxas said, shielding his eyes. "Since when has regular white ever been THIS bright?"

"Not even porcelain is this bright!" Axel complained.

After a few minutes of squinting and complaining, their eyes finally adjusted, allowing them to walk inside and shut the door behind them.

"Naminé's room should be on the second floor to the left, unless she's moved it," Roxas told Axel. They walked upstairs and turned to the left, going across the balcony to the "White Room"—Naminé's room. Roxas noticed that the door was slightly ajar, and could hear rustling inside. "Ah, good, she's in there." He pushed the door open and stepped inside. "Hey Naminé, I—"

Roxas gasped, stopping dead in his tracks; his eyes widened as he stood motionless in the doorway.

Naminé sighed softly as she finished making her bed, then smiled. "There we go…all smooth, no wrinkles, a job well done." She turned away from her bed and towards the big long table where she did most of her art, looking over a set of new drawings that she had completed. "It took me a while, but I've got a new batch ready for the gallery. I just need to take them down and get them approved." She looked down at what she was wearing and frowned. "But before that…I'd better change. I've worn this white dress three days in a row now." Smiling again, she slid down her shoulder straps, grabbed the hem of her sundress and gently pulled it off, leaving her in her white cotton panties and bra, both speckled with little red hearts. She was folding up the little dress for laundry when she heard the door open. Her eyes shot towards it—and saw just who was there. "OH!" she gasped lightly, blushing all over; in her surprise she forgot to cover up her underwear-clad form.

Roxas was frozen to the spot as his eyes moved from top to bottom, scanning Naminé's petite yet curvy form; she was clad in only a bra and panties, which were covered with red hearts, adding to her innocence. And the fact that she was blushing with such a cute expression made the sight even more priceless. 'So cute…and beautiful at the same time,' he thought.

"Uh…uh…" Naminé's blush deepened as Roxas gazed at her, her heartbeat quickening. "R-Roxas?" she asked softly, timidly.

As Naminé's voice echoed through Roxas' ears, he came to his senses, realizing what he was doing. "Oh…my…God! I'm so sorry, Naminé!" He scrambled out the door and slammed it shut behind him. He leaned against it and panted, red in the face and completely flustered.

Axel, who had witnessed the whole thing, walked over to his best friend, sporting a gigantic grin. "So, you see anything?" he laughed. "P-A-N-T-I-E-S. Got it memorized?"

Roxas growled at him. "NOT. Funny." He flushed deeper, shivering a little. "It was embarrassing for the both of us…but mostly for her. She probably thinks I'm a pervert!"

Axel shook his head. "Aw, Roxas, you worry too much. I bet you she enjoyed it. Besides…I know YOU did."

"AXEL!" Roxas shouted, before turning away, blushing. "Maybe I enjoyed it a little…"

"A little?"

"Okay, I enjoyed it!" Roxas blurted out. "So sue me! I'm a guy! It's our nature to like this kind of thing!"

"And how," Axel agreed with a goofy grin.

Meanwhile, Naminé was still standing there in her heart-printed underwear, blushing all over, heart pounding like a drum. "Oh my," she breathed, her blush deepening. Roxas had seen her in her underwear…in her most intimate state. Sure, she was embarrassed, but she didn't feel any anger towards him for what he had done. The way he looked at her, with such awe and innocence…how could she be mad at that? She started to giggle as she resumed getting dressed.

Outside, Roxas was still flustered over seeing a close—not to mention cute and pretty—female friend like Naminé in her skivvies—seeing the ever-maturing, luscious curves of her body clad in skimpy white fabric, a few hearts here and there. It didn't help that, at the moment, Axel was teasing him about it and making perverted comments—even if he was only joking.

"Man, Roxas. Most guys would KILL to be in your shoes—to see your best girl friend in her panties and not even get yelled at or slapped or anything!" Axel just kept on smiling.

Roxas was now red in the face and steaming from the ears—half from embarrassment, half from anger. "Axel," he growled dangerously, "knock—it—off!"

"Ah, ah, ah, Roxas… T-E-M-P-E-R." He wagged his finger at Roxas tauntingly. "Got it memorized?"

Roxas was sizzling now, his eyes red with rage. 'MUST…HURT…AXEL!' he thought. He might just have whipped out the Keyblade and knocked Axel's head off if Naminé's door hadn't opened at that very moment. Roxas forced his attention off Axel and looked towards the door. Instead of her usual white dress, Naminé was wearing a soft white tank top, a pleated white short-skirt that ended just a little above her thighs, and a pair of white dress shoes. Roxas couldn't help but smile at how beautiful she looked.

Naminé smiled sweetly at her two friends and curtsied daintily. "Nice of you guys to drop by."

"H-Hey Naminé…" Roxas blushed again and smiled shakily…then—"ACK!"—he was caught in a friendly headlock by Axel.

"Hiya Naminé!" Axel greeted with a grin. "Roxas and I were just talking about you."

'ACK!' Roxas began to mentally panic. 'C'mon, Axel! Cut me some slack here!'

Whether or not Axel could read Roxas' thoughts, he knew when to cool it and just be sane for once. "We were…just discussing what kind of art you might have today," he said, referring to the conversation he and Roxas had had on the way to the mansion.

"Y-Yeah, that's right!" Roxas smiled and nodded, though he was sighing in relief inside. 'Thank you, Axel…' "So…" He squirmed free of Axel's headlock. "What pictures ARE you bringing down to the gallery?"

"Well…I suppose I could show you one," Naminé said as she ducked back into the room to take out her art. When she came back, her collection under her arms, she carefully plucked out a picture and held it up for Roxas and Axel to see. "I call this one: 'Self-Portrait of a Multiple Personality.'"

Roxas and Axel looked at the picture in awe, chills running up their spines. In the center, dressed in a regal white suit, an intelligent and thoughtful look on his face, was Xehanort, assistant of Ansem the Wise, the one who first brought the Heartless into the universe. On his right, dressed in black and sporting an evil glare—and grin—was what had to be Xehanort's Heartless, the false Ansem whom Sora had fought and defeated. On Xehanort's left, dressed in a hooded black cloak, his face as cold and emotionless as ice, was one whom Roxas, Naminé, and Axel knew all too well: Xehanort's Nobody and Roxas' and Axel's former leader, Organization XIII member No. 1—Xemnas.

"Wow… Split personality is right," Roxas commented. "Xehanort and his alter egos are the perfect embodiment of it."

"And our boss, with his quest to gain his own heart, was just one of that man's personalities," Axel added. "And they were, in fact, his undoing."

"Exactly," Naminé agreed. "That's the image I was trying to show in this piece. All together, Xehanort, 'Ansem,' and Xemnas just seemed to be the perfect personification."

"Well…shall we get going?" Roxas asked. "Before the gallery closes?"

"Um…the gallery doesn't close until 11 pm, remember, Roxas?" Naminé reminded him.

"Oh yeah….forgot…heheheh," Roxas laughed nervously. In reality, he wanted them to get going so he wouldn't have to endure any more of Axel's teasing. "Well, shall we go anyway?"

"Yes we shall," Naminé smiled. "Afterwards, we can go and watch the Struggle Match."

"Oh hey, weren't you participating in it today?" Axel asked, remembering watching Roxas' training.

"Oh, that's right!" Roxas remembered as well. "Good thing I signed up yesterday." He started to laugh. "It's funny…no matter HOW many times I beat Seifer, he always claims, 'I wasn't ready! I'll get you next time!'" He rolled his eyes. "He says that EVERY year."

"You think he would've learned by now," Axel smirked. "Especially after yesterday, when Olette bitch-slapped him."

Naminé was nearly overcome with the giggles at that news. "Olette… You mean Seifer got beat up by a girl?"

"Ah, he had it coming, after his showing off resulted in Olette getting pantsed," Roxas laughed. "Man, was she pissed! I wonder how long Seifer's gonna have that hand print on his face."

"If THAT doesn't bruise the little blowhard's ego, I don't know what will." Axel laughed as he and his two friends headed out of the room, walked down the balcony stairs and left the mansion.

Meanwhile…

The cloaked scythe wielder watched everything from the computer of many monitors. "There they are… Apparently, the Struggle Match will be the best time to let them know of my return. But I'll need some help…" He opened his palm, revealing a shiny, sparkling heart. "How convenient it was that I came across HER heart… She'll be just the pawn I need to advance in this game." He turned his back on the computer and walked out of the nearest door, heading out into the dark streets of the Twilight Town's inner big city, formerly the "World that Never Was." He walked until he reached Times Square, stopping right outside the tall hotel where Sora had first encountered Roxas AND where Sora had first fought Xemnas, Keyblade to lightsaber. He looked into the night sky and inhaled deeply. "A sky of eternal night…this is perfect for the ritual."

The man started to chant a few words; soon, what appeared to be an unconscious Dusk rose up from the ground in a flash of light. Sticking his scythe into the Dusk's chest, the man took out the heart and placed it in the air, right above the scythe. "Hear me, oh heart of lightning…gather up the bolts of light from the sky, and return to your white husky shell…return to your body to obey me!" As he raised his hands to the now-thundering sky, his hood fell from his head, revealing his gentle features and shoulder-length pink hair. He smiled gleefully as lightning crackled down from the sky into the scythe, which acted as a lighting rod, absorbing the electricity and powering the heart, which spun around in the bolt of light, faster and faster, until it drained up all the electricity. The electrified heart then traveled down THROUGH the scythe and into the Dusk's chest.

"Excellent," the young man said, smiling again. "She should regain her form soon…"

Suddenly, the heart took effect; the Dusk slowly transformed, growing and warping until it took on a human form. When the change was complete, there lay a young woman with back-length blonde hair; her bangs were combed back, though a strand of hair stuck out like an antenna on either side of her forehead. The only pieces of clothing on her curvaceous body were a lacy black bra, covering her ample D-cup breasts, and a pair of black lacy panties, covering her broad hips and tight round butt.

"Oooohhhh…" The young woman moaned softly as she placed a hand to her chest, feeling a steady beat. "Is this…a heart?" Her blue eyes opened as she felt her heartbeat—and then she saw the man standing over her. "M-Marluxia!?"

"Welcome back, Larxene." Marluxia grinned evilly. "I've summoned you back because I have a purpose for you, a use if you will." The Graceful Assassin watched his former colleague like a judgmental, vindictive god. "And since I gave you a second chance at life, you owe me your undying loyalty!" He grinned like a tiger that had made its kill, tightening his grip on the scythe.

At that moment, Larxene knew for sure that she had a heart…because it was full of fear and uncertainty…

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Return of the Graceful Assassin

(The villain has been revealed! As if all of you didn't know who he was already. XD Anyway… Now Larxene's back, but as a pawn. What's going happen to our heroes now, I wonder? I don't own Roxas, his possible love interests, Axel, Marluxia, OR Larxene. Square-Enix does.)

CHAPTER 4

"I can't believe that woman!" Roxas griped as they left the Art Gallery. "'Not in the least bit lifelike'?! How the hell could she say that about your art, Naminé?"

Naminé just sighed, out of disgust rather than depression. "Some people are just hard to please, Roxas," she said.

"I can understand criticism," Axel retorted, "but she just ripped into the art and was absolutely scathing with her 'opinions'." He made the quotes motion with his index and middle fingers on either hand. "Just be thankful SHE is not the one in charge."

"Next time, Naminé," Roxas advised, "the next time she tries to break you down like that, just tell her, 'You're so damn smart, you do your own art and THEN brag!'"

Axel nodded in agreement. "Just throw her crap back at her. I mean, REALLY—'How can some silly child like you know about art? Why, you must've had help and cheated!' She's trying to find faults, and make up stupid excuses to hate the art! What's wrong with her?!"

"She doesn't like fresh new talent," Naminé said sadly. "She also doesn't like new styles; she thinks everything should be old and traditional. Let's just say, if there's a budding flower growing in the world of art, Ms. Snipper will be there to crush it."

Roxas rolled his eyes, groaning. "No wonder new talent tends to shy away or just not exist… It's because of people like Snipper who criticize them for 'being different'."

As the three friends griped about artistic bigotry, they made their way from the art gallery and right through the market place, bound for the sandlot.

"I wonder who's gonna be competing in the Struggle Match this year?" Roxas mused. "Besides Seifer, of course…he won't be satisfied until he proves he's better than me and my 'gang of chicken wusses', as he always calls us."

"How do you manage to put up with that squirt's crap?" Axel asked, incredulous.

Roxas just shrugged. "You get used to it."

Axel looked shocked—or perhaps he feigned it. "I think that's horrible, having to get used to that punk's boasting and bravado. Heck, I wouldn't put up with it for long, I can tell you that."

"You wouldn't have to put up with it," Naminé said with a laugh. "Number 1: You're bigger than Seifer. Number 2: Your pyrokinetics would send him running for the hills."

Axel gave a cocky smile. "Yeah, I do have an imposing presence to him. Show a little fire, and he backs off right away." He snapped his fingers, briefly igniting a little spark of flame.

After they cut through the alleyway and walked right past the Usual Spot, the trio reached the sandlot, just in time to see the crowd gathering around the arena and sitting down in the bleachers. Different contenders were stationed around the arena as well: Hayner was over in the corner practicing his fighting techniques, while Seifer was chatting with—and showing off to—Rai and Fuu. Setzer was there as well, signing autographs for all his fans, who seemed to be mostly women.

"Heh…Setzer's such a lucky bastard," Axel mused as he watched the man. "He has a whole legion of female fans flocking towards him. Although…" He turned to Roxas, wearing a sly grin, and whispered, "You're not too far behind, what with two girls fawning over you."

"Axel!" Roxas hissed, bristling.

Axel just chuckled. "Well," he then said out loud, "I'd better go find a seat before the stands get filled up. You want me to save you a spot, Naminé?"

"No thanks, I'm okay standing right here and watching," Naminé said politely.

"Ah… Want to get a front row view of your daring hero in action, eh?" Axel's roguish smile made a comeback. "Bet he'd be motivated knowing that his fair princess was watching his victories." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"AXEL!!" Both Roxas and Naminé blushed madly and turned away. Axel laughed as he ran off to the bleachers, leaving the two teens utterly embarrassed…and downright fuming.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the announcer bellowed. "Welcome once again to the annual Struggling Competition! Hope you're ready for the excitement we have in store for tonight!"

The crowd cheered in response.

"Our first match of the day shall now begin! In this corner…we have a fine young fighter, a member of Hayner's gang. You all know him, our champion from last year, ROXAS!"

The crowd went wild as Roxas stepped into the ring with his struggle sword; the loudest cheers came from Naminé and Olette, the latter in the front row not too far from the former.

"And in the other corner…a well renowned struggler and head of Twilight Town's Disciplinary Committee, Seifer!"

The crowd cheered once again as Seifer stepped into the ring, struggle sword in hand.

"Now let's have a good, clean fight, gentleman," the referee told them. "The rules are the same as ever. Whoever ends this fight with the most points wins."

Roxas and Seifer stared each other down, neither one willing to lose to the other.

"Ready? FIGHT!" The announcer threw down his hands, signaling the start of the fight.

Now in their fighting stances, Roxas and Seifer circled like gladiators, each waiting for the other to make his move.

"Kneel, loser!" Seifer suddenly shot forward, swinging his struggle sword at Roxas—it nailed him right in the chest, almost knocking him down, and shook loose some of his point spheres. But before Seifer could collect them, he was suddenly hit in the stomach—then his torso received a three-hit combo courtesy of Roxas, knocking him away.

Roxas went about recollecting his point spheres, as well as grabbing some of Seifer's, while Seifer scrambled to snatch up his own. Roxas suddenly halted his sphere grabbing to run at Seifer, ready to attack. Seifer snapped to attention and swung his struggle sword like a baseball bat—but Roxas jumped over it, bringing his own sword down on Seifer's head; he landed a second blow on Seifer's cheek, knocking him over to the side.

Seifer hit the ground hard, grunting in pain; however, he recovered just in time to see Roxas gathering point spheres. Seifer grabbed a few of his own, and then jumped into the air with a holler, grabbing Roxas's attention. He swung his struggle sword down—

But Roxas, seeing Seifer coming, quickly parried the attack with his own weapon. He seized the opportunity to land another combo—but Seifer parried the last blow and jumped into the air. "Isn't this romantic!?" Seifer taunted—then he dove at Roxas, brandishing the struggle sword—

"WHOA!" Roxas rolled out of the way, letting Seifer shoot right past him. He charged at his opponent and started swinging at him, striking him in the back four times before knocking him down.

But Seifer wasn't about to go down just yet; he rolled over, sat up, and tripped Roxas, sending him to the ground; Seifer scrambled to his feet and began to recollect his spheres—but Roxas quickly got back up and started to race Seifer for them. "You're not gonna win that easily!"

"Oh yes I am, chicken wuss!" Seifer shouted—then he lunged at Roxas with a spin strike; Roxas quickly countered the attack and charged at Seifer, slamming him in the chest and knocking him to the other side of the ring.

"What a fight this is turning out to be!" the announcer cried, excited. "Time is running out! The fighters are equally matched! Who will turn out the victor???"

Everyone was on edge as they watched the two competitors struggle mightily. Naminé and Olette both got closer to the ring and watched anxiously, praying that Roxas would come through. Even Axel was on edge as he leaned forward, as quiet as he was tense.

Roxas and Seifer panted with exhaustion as each pushed his struggle sword against the other. They had equal amounts of point spheres—and time was running out, FAST.

"Five!" the crowd shouted.

That was when the boys noticed one sphere near the left end of the ring. "It's mine!" they both shouted.

"Four!"

Roxas pushed Seifer away and made a beeline for the sphere, his opponent right on his heels—

"Three!"

Neck and neck, the two raced for the sphere; suddenly, Seifer tackled Roxas to the ground, trying to slow him down—

"Two!"

Roxas forced Seifer off and scrambled up to go for the sphere again; Seifer shot up after him, coming right up beside him—

"One!"

The two fighters dived for the sphere—

"MARIONETTE SCYTHE!" Suddenly, a large scythe flew in front of them, slicing the sphere in half. Roxas and Seifer landed on the ground in a heap.

"What the hell?!" Roxas exclaimed.

"Who the hell did that?!" Seifer demanded.

The entire crowd was murmuring in confusion and amazement at what had just happened. Who had yelled out the attack? Where did the scythe come from?

"My, my, my…what an amusing little slugfest," a deep, rich voice said mockingly.

Everyone turned towards the alleyway entrance just in time to see the scythe spinning back into the hand of its thrower. There stood a young man, probably in his late twenties, with a pale complexion and shoulder-length pink hair. He was dressed in a black cloak, its hood left down, and black leather boots. He was smiling as he stepped out of the alley and over to the arena. "I give you my greetings, residents of Twilight Town."

'MARLUXIA!?' Roxas, Naminé, and Axel exclaimed mentally.

Marluxia scanned the crowd, his eyes falling upon Naminé. "Ah… Good day, my dear Naminé," he said with a cruel smile.

Naminé merely scowled and glared at him.

Marluxia's gaze turned to the arena, then to the bleachers, as he laid eyes on Roxas and Axel. "And a good day to you, Number 13… Number 9…"

"Hello, Number 11," Roxas growled.

"Marluxia…" Axel rose to his feet, conjuring his charkams in two flashes of flame. "How the hell did you come back!?"

"Why, the same way you three did," Marluxia shrugged, still smiling. "By the wish of Roxas's other…Sora."

"Hey, who do you think you are?!" Seifer yelled at Marluxia, starting towards him. "You're interrupting the Struggle Match here! As head disciplinarian, I demand that you—URK!" He was suddenly grabbed around the neck.

"I was NOT talking to you!" Marluxia spat. "Now be a good boy and get lost!" He threw Seifer over his shoulder, sending the boy crashing into a pile of flour sacks; white dust blew out everywhere from the impact.

"Seifer!" Roxas yelled. "Damn it!" His struggle sword glowed bright white; in a flash, it transformed into the Kingdom Key Keyblade.

Marluxia looked around to see the audience staring at him in shock and fear. "What are YOU all looking at?! GET OUT!" He raised his scythe, a vortex of rose petals swirling into existence around him. "Rose Tempest—Medium Power!" He unleashed the storm of rose petals upon the audience.

Though these petals were smooth, they weren't soft as silk—no, they were sharp as razors. The good news was that since Marluxia had used only a fraction of his power, the audience's flesh was safe; the bad news was that their clothes were not. As the petals swept over the audience, they started screaming; their clothing was quickly sliced and shredded as the petals cut through stitching and fabric. Setzer swore as his best suit was sliced to bits, leaving him in boxer shorts, much to the amusement of his friends—though their clothes were meeting the same fate—and the embarrassment—or delight—of the ladies—especially the fan girls. A few high school girls leapt up, screaming as the petals tore up their blouses and skirts, leaving their frilly bras and panties on display…much to the delight and arousal of the boys. People started piling out of the sandlot as their clothes were shredded, leaving them in boxers, panties, briefs, and bras…

Hayner was one of the unlucky ones; his best street clothes were torn to shreds, leaving him in red boxer shorts. He swore loudly as he grabbed a barrel lid and tried to cover himself.

Olette was also in a spot—the petals tore up her tank top, leaving only a blue-striped cotton bra to cover her maturing breasts, then her jeans went bye-bye as they burst into shreds, leaving blue-striped cotton panties on her ample bottom. She screamed in embarrassment, desperately trying to cover herself.

Axel, however, was fortunate—when he saw the petals coming, he twirled his charkams around at high speed, generating enough flames to form a shield, which burned any petals coming his way. Roxas followed Axel's example, twirling his Keyblade like a baton and deflecting the petals coming at him. "Sorry, Marluxia, but I'd prefer to keep my clothes ON."

Naminé had tried to run for cover, but ended up meeting Olette's fate—her skirt and tank top were ripped up by the petals, leaving only her heart-printed bra and panties. She gasped and blushed as she tried to cover herself up.

"Enough of this!" Axel shouted. "FIRE TOOTH!" Columns of flame swirled around him, sucking in countless petals and reducing them to ash.

"Yeah, this is getting annoying!" Roxas's Keyblade began to glow—then suddenly, it split into the Oathkeeper and Oblivion Keyblades; Roxas pulled them apart, still twirling them, and then spun around, swinging the blades in a tornado, deflecting the petals faster, more efficiently. As he whirled and whirled, Roxas and his Keyblades started glowing white…until…

"HOLY!" He stopped in mid-air—and a vortex of light erupted around him, eradicating the petals. When it stopped, he looked around to see that everyone had run off…almost everyone. He saw both Olette and Naminé in their underwear—and immediately had to keep his eyes from bulging out of their sockets; his face went a deep red.

"Impressive," Marluxia chuckled. "You two haven't lost a step."

Roxas tore his gaze away from the poorly-clad beauties and glared at Marluxia. "And you seem to have gained a perverted sense of humor," he chided, pointing Oathkeeper at the Graceful Assassin.

Marluxia snorted. "My Rose Tempest was only at medium power then. If I had used it on high power, it would have cut through your flesh as well," he sneered. "I just wanted to talk to you three privately." His eyes turned to Naminé, who was trying vainly to cover up her underwear—and he began to laugh. "Oh, excusez-moi, Naminé," he said tauntingly. "You know, I always figured you wore white under white…I just didn't think it'd be white with red hearts."

Naminé blushed harder and growled at him: "You pervert!"

"Why, we oughta slap you upside your perverted skull!" Olette snapped.

Marluxia just snorted dismissively. "Don't strain yourselves. I have no interest in little girls."

"Little girls!?" Naminé and Olette shrieked angrily.

"Why did you come here anyway, Marluxia?" Roxas demanded.

"Yeah, what's your game this time?" Axel inquired. "Organization XIII's long gone."

"I know," Marluxia said darkly. "I have your other half to blame for it, Roxas…"

"Don't forget!" Roxas reminded his former colleague. "My other self also wished for Nobodies to become whole again. That means we all have hearts, so there's no need to try and take over Kingdom Hearts. We can all live normal lives!"

"Shut up!"

Roxas was taken aback by Marluxia's outburst.

"I may have a heart…but I'll never live as a lowly human like you, Roxas!" Marluxia glared at Roxas, his eyes dark and burning with hatred.

"Marluxia!?"

Marluxia tightened his grip on his scythe as he emitted a growl. "Sora…that little fool." He spat out the name like a piece of spoiled meat. "He made me this way with his stupid wish…and I hate him for it!" He slammed his scythe into the ground. "I never wanted a heart! All I wanted was power!" He was shaking with rage, his eyes blazing. "All I wanted was to overthrow that fool Xemnas and take control of the Organization for myself—and the Keyblade with it!!" He rounded on Axel. "Everything was going perfectly until YOU threw a wrench into my plans!"

"The Organization didn't tolerate traitors," Axel said simply, frowning. "And they especially didn't tolerate those who went against their objective! All we wanted was to find hearts and become whole again!"

"WHO CARES?!?!" Marluxia shot back. "Who needs a heart?! I certainly don't need or want the one I have now! All I want is revenge—revenge on the Keybearer! But, of course, the original is out of my reach for the moment." He glared at Roxas. "But since you're his Nobody, the 'Key of Destiny', that makes you able to wield the Keyblade's power, and, in turn"—he brandished his scythe at Roxas—"that makes YOU the next best target!"

Roxas readied Oathkeeper and Oblivion in a battle stance. "You want to fight now, Marluxia?" he challenged.

"Then you'll have to fight ME, too!" Axel appeared at Roxas's side, charkams out.

Marluxia snorted, looking at them disdainfully. "Fortunately for you two, I'm in no mood to fight you head on. I have other matters to deal with at the moment—but make no mistake, now that I've made my presence known, I will stop at nothing to seize control of this town, obtain the Keyblade, AND get revenge on the two of you…so I suggest you stay on your toes. HUAH!" Another vortex of rose petals erupted around him and swirled around Roxas and Axel, briefly obscuring their vision. When everything cleared, Marluxia was nowhere to be found.

TO BE CONTINUED


	5. Key of Destiny VS Savage Nymph

(Well after the last chapter, everybody knows that Marluxia's alive and kicking. But oddly enough he didn't fight Roxas and Axel just yet. What could he be up to? Let's find out shall we? I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Disney and Square Enix do.)

CHAPTER 5

Marluxia looked at himself in the mirror, admiring his new wardrobe. "I have to admit, this is such a refreshing change from the usual black hooded cloak. It goes so well with the color of my hair." Marluxia was dressed in a deep purple suit with a lavender dress shirt underneath the jacket, and wore a flowing maroon overcoat over the suit. On the right breast of the jacket, he had a single black rose pinned onto it. After confirming his choice of dress, Marluxia turned away. "Now… Getting revenge on Roxas and Axel, while satisfying, just doesn't seem to be enough even if I do manage to control the Keyblade's power." An evil, greedy grin crossed his features. "I believe the one thing that could sweeten it all, would be if I took control of Twilight Town; both the part created by Ansem the Wise, AND the part where Organization XIII's base was situated in the "World that Never Was." I could spread my "flower power" through both realities and create my own garden of darkness." The more he thought about it, the more Marluxia smiled and craved the idea. Hold out one hand, a swirl of flower petals gathered around and began to form the shape of Marluxia's scythe before transforming into that very weapon. Sitting down at Ansem's computer, he started searching through the monitors. "Now, I wonder how Larxene is doing with her search. Can I really trust her, now that she has a heart?" He finally came across a monitor that showed the image of Larxene's face. Ever since Larxene had been revived, she seemed to show signs of wariness, reluctance and mistrust towards Marluxia. Even if it was all in his head, Marluxia did not want to take any chances. "If she should desert/betray me, then I shall be in need of some other servants to dispose of her and take her place." He turned towards the door out of the laboratory and into the night streets. "I believe I know where to look."

After much walking in the darker streets of Twilight Town, Marluixa found himself standing in front of a seedy looking tavern. He looked up and read the brightly lit neon sign, which read "Faris' Pirate Brig" in bright blue letters. "This is where I'll find the men or women I need." Marluxia told himself as he pushed open the doors. Inside the bar was exactly like the name had suggested, as the bar looked as though it had been taken out straight from the age of pirates. Marluxia saw mercenaries, warriors, and thieves off all kinds drinking, smoking, playing cards, shooting craps, playing pool and what not; some of them were even collecting the bounties of the targets they captured. Marluixa wandered up to the bar and took a seat, waiting for the bartender to come his way. Sure enough an attractive young woman about in her mid-twenties with long purple hair flowing behind her, dressed in a men's frilly white dress shirt, short leather skirt, and calf high leather boots, came up to Marluxia. "Am I correct to assume that you are Faris?"

"Aye, that be my name." Faris nodded. "Will ye be having anything to wet yer whistle?"

"I'd like some Vodka please."

Faris deposited a large bottle of Vodka and a shot glass on the table, and screwed off the top. "There ya go. Now what brings ye to my humble bar, matey? Ya have a sort of air about ye."

"I'm looking for some mercenaries for hire." Marluxia explained as he took a drink of vodka. "I've heard that you've got some of the best there is."

"That we do, my pink haired friend. That we do. What exactly are ya lookin' for?"

"Well… Let's just say I need a powerful fighter who can do a "killer for hire" job." Marluxia took another drink.

"I see…" Faris thought for a moment. "If ye want someone who's strong and dedicated to his job…I got just the lubber for ya." Faris walked out from behind the bar and called to the far side of the room. "Hey! Steiner! Ya got a customer here!"

Marluxia turned around looking to see who Faris called over. His eyebrow raised as stocky looking knight came his way. The man looked to be about in his late 40s, clad head to toe in armor. His armor had traces of rust all over it, looking like he hadn't cleaned it in days, and his weapon of choice appeared to be a large sword shiny strapped to his back which played contrast to his rusty armor.

The knight bowed politely to Marluxia and introduced himself. "Greetings, dear sir. I am Aldebert Steiner, at your service."

"Hmmm… You're well mannered and seem obedient, but are you strong?" Marluxia asked.

"I am VERY strong, sir." Steiner said with confidence and raised his shiny sword into the air. "Check my record and it will show that I am the man you're looking for, and not these rogues and knaves you see around me." He waved in dismissal at the other mercenaries.

Faris passed Marluxia Steiner's credit sheet, from beside him. "Read it and weep." Faris told him. "Boastful Steiner may be, and full of hot air he seems, but aye, he has quite the spotless record for bounty huntin,' AND he has the muscle and staying power to back it up."

Marluxia read the paper over and his eyebrows arched in surprise, before his eyes narrowed and his mouth sported a cunning grin. 'Perfect…' He thought. 'He may be stuffy and full of it, but it this report shows that he's got the power and skill to match his pride. But I want to see him in action.' He looked at Steiner. "Steiner… Can you show me a taste of you abilities?"

Steiner bowed again. "But, of course, sir, anything for a hopeful employer."

Marluxia looked around the area before setting his eyes on a bald muscle-bound brute with a beard, nearby. He grinned evilly. "I want you to beat that hooligan up."

"It shall be done!" Steiner nodded, before readying his sword. He made a quick motion as his sword began to shine in the light and radiate a powerful energy, before he charged at the brute. "IAI STRIKE!"

The brute had only enough time to grunt and look up, before Steiner's sword clashed right against his bare flesh.

The sound of steel cutting into human flesh echoed through the entire bar, and fresh human blood splattered onto the floor, wall, and a nearby table. The next sound heard was the thud of the brute's bloodied and disemboweled corpse hitting the floor, leaking more blood onto the carpet. In front of the corpse stood Steiner, his sword covered in blood, and looking grimy at the body. "May your cursed soul rot in hell, wretch." He said simply, as he cleaned his sword off.

"Hmmm…" Marluxia smiled with satisfaction. "He'll do nicely."

Meanwhile…

Roxas was walking around the shopping plaza, with a bar of sea-salt ice cream in hand thinking back to yesterday. He was feeling a little cautious as of late, ever since yesterday's Struggle Competition when Marluxia, his former Organization colleague who was supposed to be dead after a fierce battle with Sora, had shown up out of nowhere and caused quite a commotion in the sandlot, all to threaten him, Axel, and Naminé, announcing that he was back for vengeance against them. But apparently when Sora wished for the Nobodies to be reborn with hearts, Marluxia's heart must have returned back to the remains of its former body. But now that he had a heart, that heart must full of anger, hatred and revenge. Since Sora was out of reach, Roxas was the next best target for Marluxia, who only desired to control the Keyblade and Keaybearer's power. But he also sought out Axel, who had uncovered his plan and aided in his demise, and wanted revenge on him just as badly, for turning Naminé against him and throwing a wrench into his plan. The question was, WHERE and WHEN Marluxia would strike. They could have fought then and there at the Struggle Match—but Marluxia declined and fled. Almost as if he had another agenda. 'What could Marluxia be after, besides the Keyblade's power or Axel's and my head? It doesn't matter if he's a Nobody OR a human—he's always been so secretive and on his own side. I don't know how or why Xemnas didn't catch onto his plot. I always knew something wasn't quite right about him, and Axel did too. Marluxia's secretiveness and unpredictability have always made him dangerous like that…' He took another bite of his ice cream and sighed. "Even with a new life, peace doesn't seem to last long."

As Roxas reflected, he was unaware of the fact that a certain someone was watching him from afar. Larxene had been stalking Roxas for quite some time now, under Marluxia's orders. It was strange though. If she had been a Nobody, this would be no problem as her personality as a Nobody portrayed her to be sadistic, cruel, savage and malicious, living up to her title as the "Savage Nymph" and the perfect right hand woman to Marluxia and his ideals. But now that she was human—now that she had a heart—things were so much different. Now she felt fearful and uneasy around Marluxia, who seemed more like a power hungry madman than the ambitious idealist he was back at Castle Oblivion. Also—in her new long lost heart, she was experiencing other feelings long forgotten; such as regret. She felt the regret of following Marluxia down the road to ruin, regret of betraying the Organization's goal of becoming human again, regret of betraying her teammates, and the regret of not being able to see or be with a certain member. "Axel…" She shook her head and grabbed her temples. "Why does his face keep appearing in my thoughts? What happened to the old me? The "Savage Nymph," the woman who would cause her enemies pain and torment both mentally and physically? The one who went against the Organization's ideals for her own? Well I did strive for my own heart once—but Marluxia changed all that. He filled my mind with thoughts of power and control—and I lost sight of things, all because of him!" The more Larxene thought about it, the more she hated and resented Marluxia. "Is my life really worth it? Just to serve him down yet possibly another path of ruin…?" She threw off her Organization cloak, leaving her in a tight white t-shirt, a black leather vest, and a short black jean skirt. "Well I'm not doing this for him anymore…"

Roxas sat up from the bench he was sitting on and stretched. "Well, I'm not gonna do anything just by sitting here and dwelling on things…" He told himself. "Think I should—" He froze in his tracks and stopped in mid-sentence. Something didn't feel right. Roxas outstretched one hand and felt the Keyblade materialize right into his palm. Gripping the Kingdom Key, he got into a fighting stance and looked around cautiously. 'Something tells me I'm not alone…'

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Roxas heard the sounds of something metallic sailing through the air, and had only seconds to react. With one quick spin of the Keyblade, he heard a few small clang sounds, and watched as 3 kunai fell to the ground, crackling with electricity. "Wait a minute… Electric kunai!?" Roxas narrowed his eyes. "Only one person I know uses electrical power and kunai…" He turned around to the left and faced his attacker. "Larxene! The Savage Nymph!" He pointed his Keyblade at the attacker.

Larxene smiled cunningly, brandishing her kunai. "Roxas. The Key of Destiny. I never thought I'd see YOU again, traitor." Her smile faltered as she said that.

Roxas snorted. "Traitor? I could say the same about you! You dropped the chance get your own heart and sided with that backstabber, Marluxia!"

Larxene hissed at the name of the Graceful Assassin. "Yes, I did." She growled. "And that was no doubt the biggest mistake I ever made."

"No duh. And the next big mistake was having the audacity to show your face to me!" Roxas shouted, before leaping out at Larxene and spinning his Keyblade out at her.

Larxene ducked over Roxas' attack. "Nice try! But fighting against your other self helped me practice!" She fired a kunai at Roxas' back.

Roxas whirled around and leaned to his left, as the kunai shot by, tearing a hole in his jacket. "Whoa! STRIKE RAID!" Gripping his Keyblade lightly, he reared back and threw it at Larxene as if it were a boomerang.

At the same moment, a set of kunai in each hand, Larxene raised her hands above her head, and started generating electricity into a growing ball of lightning above her head. "BOLT BALL!" She cried out, as she saw Roxas launch his Keyblade at her, and threw her electrical attack.

As both attacks clashed, Roxas' Keyblade span around wildly in mid-air as it struggled to push away the lightning ball. The lightning ball crackled and sparked wildly as the Keyblade pushed into it, bolts of electricity shooting out everywhere as both objects pushed one another in opposing directions and their owners concentrated and watched them anxiously. Finally, the bolt ball gave out with a loud "BANG" and blew up like a firework, sending the Keyblade spinning right back to Roxas.

Roxas caught the Keyblade in mid-air by the handle, just in time as Larxene came dashing at him, kunai out and sparking with voltage as she slashed at him like a wild cougar. Dodge rolling to the side before he got carved up; Roxas used his Strike Raid one more and threw his Keyblade like a boomerang once more at his opponent while her back was still turned, this time, nailing her right in her lower back and knocking her onto her front. BAM!

Larxene growled to her self as she narrowly missed Roxas with her electrical slash, when seconds later, she felt a heavy impact on her back that sent her face first into the ground. "UGH!" She grunted as she hit the ground. She rolled onto her back, just in time to see Roxas coming at her from above, swinging his Keyblade down upon her. Hissing, she brought up her kunai and generated an electrical shield between her and Roxas, pushing back him and his Keyblade as the electrical energy crackled and sparked.

Roxas struggled to get through Larxene's shield but to no avail, finally opting to bounce back and flip over onto his feet as Larxene scrambled to hers.

"Give up yet, Roxas?" Larxene cast a smirk at the Key of Destiny.

"Not in your life!" Roxas spat at the Savage Nymph. "Get ready!" Suddenly Roxas rushed Larxene at the speed of sound, his Keyblade pointed straight out in a thrusting motion.

Larxene had no warning and was hit dead on, cleaved through by Roxas' split second attack. Before she had time to recover, she was struck again a second later from behind by the same attack, before being stuck a third and fourth time, now being struck from different directions seeing only a blur of white and gold.

It was as though Roxas briefly became pure energy to charge right through Larxene's body, Keyblade first and cut her to the bone in a second. It was one technique that Roxas learned when he was still a part of Sora, from a warrior named Cloud, known as the Sonic Thrust. With it Roxas could move at the speed of sound, becoming one with the air, and cut right through to the bone of his enemies with his Keyblade, greatly injuring/weakening them, just as he was doing to Larxene. After one more cleaving strike, Roxas was now behind Larxene who had dropped to her knees, in pain. Using this opportunity, Roxas rushed at Larxene in a fast slide attack swinging his Keyblade right around upwards to strike her up into the air. Giving chase, Roxas jumped up into the air and pointed his Keyblade out at Larxene. "RAGNAROK!!" Roxas fired a cluster of lasers upon Larxene.

Larxene was just recovering from the onslaught of Roxas' Sonic Blade attack, when she was struck from behind and hurled into the air. Before she could recover and get to her feet though, she turned right around in time to see Roxas shout out and unleash a barrage of magenta laser beams from his Keyblade right at her body. Larxene screamed as the beams of intense energy passed right through her body, burning through muscle and skin tissue and igniting every nerve in her body with pain.

"Ha! How do you like my "Ragnarok," Larxene?" Roxas shot, as he watched the Savage Nymph hit the ground. When his feet touched the ground, Roxas carefully walked over to check on his opponent. But before he was in 2 feet of her— CHOOM! A blinding flash of electricity went off, blinding Roxas temporarily. When the flash, and his vision, cleared, Larxene was nowhere to be found. "Shit! She must've used a teleportation spell. But did she really get away? Or is she in hiding, planning a sneak attack?"

"Oh, Roxas!"

Roxas turned to the pathway leading into the marketplace, just in time to see Larxene smiling and waving at him in a taunting manner.

"Catch me if ya, can!" Larxene smirked and smacked her rear at Roxas, sticking her tongue out at him before running off.

"Why that cocky bitch…!" Roxas fumed as he chased after Larxene. As he entered the market place, he turned to the item shop and spoke to the clerk with urgency. "Excuse me, but did you see a blonde woman in a jean skirt go by here?"

"Um…I think I saw her go up towards the station." The clerk replied.

"Thanks!" Roxas took off down the street, making a beeline for the station. He was almost near the outside of the station when another taunt stopped him his tracks.

"You're going the wrong way pint-size!" Larxene appeared on the outside of the alleyway, laughing. "Over here!" She blew the raspberry at Roxas before ducking into the alleyway.

"Grrr!" Roxas chased after Larxene with a snarl, bolting away from the station and into the alleyway. He ran through the alleyway on winged feet until he was right outside the Usual Spot. "Now where the hell is she…" He looked at the Usual Spot entrance and thought. "Is she—maybe?" He crept over and pushed back the curtain a little. Roxas suddenly noticed a figure with their back turned, wearing the same clothes Larxene was wearing. "Got you!" He slide dashed at the figure and walloped it with his Keyblade, hard…only to watch as a dressing dummy fell over, in pieces. Roxas sighed in disappointment and frustration as he picked up the jean skirt and jacket. "A decoy… Nope…she's not in here." He was about to turn and leave when…

-Crackle-

He heard a faint crackle of electricity and looked above, only to get an eye full of black laced panties as he found himself accidentally looking right up at Larxene's butt, as Larxene had been hiding up in the rafters, doing the splits and keeping herself up with both legs against opposite rafters, giving Roxas an accidental view of her panty-clad rump. "Ack!" Roxas blushed and bled a little from the nose, and then dodge rolled just as Larxene came down with an electric drop kick.

As soon as she saw Roxas demolish the dummy, Larxene saw her chance. She sparked a little electricity to get his attention, even if it meant him getting a good look at her when she was only in a t-shirt and panties. As soon he was taken aback by her state of dress and a full view of her underwear, she swooped down with a drop kick, her legs charged with electricity. As Roxas dodge, she touched ground, sending electric shockwaves along the floor, catching and paralyzing Roxas with an electrical current.

As soon as Roxas broke from his role, he turned to face Larxene, only to get a few thousand volts pumped right through him, trapping him in a paralyzing electrocution.

"Heh… You can't move can you?" Larxene smiled craftily. "I'll give you this: You certainly wore a worthy opponent to fight. You certainly lived up to your role as one of the Organization's best fighters…" She walked up to him, swaying her hips as she did so. Suddenly her smile faltered as her heart got in the way. "You know—as hard as it is to believe—I wish I didn't have to do this. But it's an unwanted debt to Marluxia—so I don't have a choice in the matter." She clenched a fist, which ignited with lightning from her fist all the way her elbow. "Thunder Punch." She said simply before delivering a devastating electrical blow to Roxas' torso.

There was a violent flash of light in the Usual Spot, and seconds later, Roxas went flying out the curtain and sailed through the air, landing right in the Sandlot and skidding along the ground. Roxas groaned in pain as he weakly struggled to get up, although his muscles and nerves felt as though they were on fire.

In a bolt of light, Larxene appeared in front of Roxas with her jacket and skirt back on, and kunai out. "It's been fun Roxas—but it's time to end this…" She raised an arm back, prepared to deliver a fatal blow to Roxas.

"FLAMETHROWER!" Fwoosh!

Larxene back flipped away as a long stream of fire came at her from the side, and scorched the spot where she once stood, burning the ground black. "The hell?" She heard footsteps coming from the road leading to the Marketplace and looked over, just in time to see the interloper showing his face. "You!?" She looked surprised.

Axel had his head lowered, chuckling, before he raised is head and opened his eyes. "Nice to see you again, Larxene… Sorry for my intrusion. Got it memorized?" He smirked as his chakrams appeared in his hands.

TO BE CONTINUED


	6. Taming of the Savage Nymph

(Here comes part 2 of Roxas VS. Larxene. Only now, Axel's joined the fight. How will this fight turn out? Will Marluxia need Steiner? All will be answered soon. We shall see what we shall see. I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Disney and Square Enix do.)

CHAPTER 6

Axel had his head lowered, chuckling, before he raised is head and opened his eyes. "Nice to see you again, Larxene… Sorry for my intrusion. Got it memorized?" He smirked as his chakrams appeared in his hands.

'Got it memorized… Same old Axel…' Larxene thought, smiling a little with a blush. She soon realized what she was doing and shook her head, slapping herself to gain control back. "Well, first the Key of Destiny, now the "Flurry of Dancing Flames." The traitor brigade's almost complete." She smirked.

Axel rolled his eyes. "You're one to talk."

Larxene wagged her finger at Axel. "Ah, ah. I was talking about me as well. All we need is that rat, Marlxuia, now." Her smile gave way to a frown. "Yeah—the flower fairy who started the whole mess…"

Axel's ears picked up that last sentence, and the tone in which it was said. 'Wait a second. Was that—regret, in her voice? She's actually speaking ill of Marluxia? I thought those two went hand in hand with one another…not that Larxene couldn't do better.' "Sounds like you've got issues with Marluxia…"

Larxene shook her head. "So what if I do? I'm still fighting here! THUNDAGA!!"

Axel was bombarded with a miniature electrical storm, from a high level thunder spell, as lightning bolts shot down all around him, trying to electrocute him. Axel dodged the bolts as nimbly as he could, before countering with his own high level spell. "FIRAGA!"

Larxene thanked god that she wasn't wearing her Organization cloak this time, as she danced frantically, trying to avoid the flames.

Axel rushed over to Roxas' side with a high potion ready. "Roxas, buddy. You ok?"

"Ugh… I will be once I get my stamina back…" Roxas groaned in pain.

"Here ya go, then." Axel uncapped the hi-potion and sprinkled its shiny healing particles contents over Roxas.

"Ahhh… There we go." Roxas sighed as the pain went away and his strength began to build back up. He watched as Axel held out a helping hand, took it, and let Axel pull him back onto his feet. "Thanks for the help, Axel." He dusted himself off and turned to the still stunned and shaken Larxene with a glare. "So Larxene… You still care to fight?"

"Larxene, please." Axel said sternly with worry. "You DON'T have to do this! There's no more Organization XIII! And you're not a Nobody anymore! You HAVE a heart, don't you?"

Larxenen placed a hand to her chest, still getting use to the beating of her new heart. "I…I know that!" She shot back, her eyes looking hesistant.

"Marluxia does too. But he doesn't seem to give a rat's ass about it." Roxas told her.

"You DON'T have to be his puppet anymore!" Axel added. "C'mon Larxene. You're your own woman! You don't take orders from anyone! Marluxia just lead you to your own destruction! You'll keep going down that path if you keep listening to him."

Larxene's hands started to shake. She KNEW they were right. When she first lost her heart and was reduced to a Nobody, she didn't know what to do or where to turn to. All she knew was that she was now a Nobody, an empty husk, and her heart was now some savage Heartless running about. But that's when she first met Axel. Axel came to her, a Nobody much like herself, and told her that she could one day have a heart again. All she had to do was come with him and join the Organization. Everything seemed fine at first when Larxene first joined. She was gifted with the power of thunder and wielded kunai as weapons. Her penchant for mental and physical torture, along with her ruthless battle tactics earned her the name of the "Savage Nymph." But soon, Larxene's goals became obscured and clouded the moment Marluxia approached her. He didn't care about gaining a heart. All he wanted was power; to overthrow Xemnas and to take the Organization for himself. When he told her about Sora and the Keyblade, and what powers the Keyblade wield, she became hooked on Marluxia's plans and schemes, also wanting a taste of power herself. But where had it gotten her? Sora caught onto their plans and Larxene was one of the first to fall. None of that would've happened if she hadn't have listened to Marluxia's harebrained scheme. But now she had a heart, and a chance to live normally once again. Did she REALLY owe that much of a debt to the one who dragged her down in the first place? Suddenly she felt a warm wetness forming in her eyes and trickling down her cheeks. She reached up and felt them, feeling the warm liquid streaming down; tears. Tears—Larxene was crying—the Savage Nymph was actually crying.

'Tears!?' Roxas saw what was happening and his jaw nearly dropped. 'Ok—something's WRONG here. In the short time I knew Larxene when we were all in the Organization, she NEVER cried. …Of course, she didn't have a heart then, but still…'

Unlike Roxas, Axel was more concerned than shocked. "Larxene?" He started to walk over. "Larxene, are you ok?" He reached out to her.

"S-Stay away!" Larxene half sobbed in a shaky voice and smacked Axel's hand away, floating backwards a meter and a half from him. "GRAND SPARK!" Larxene slammed the ground, sending an explosive electrical current right for Axel.

Axel barely had enough time to jump over the incoming attack, letting it pass under him before fizzling out. "Larxene, calm down!"

Larxene didn't listen however and started throwing handfuls of kunai right for Axel, continuing to cry in despair.

Axel twirled his chakrams about in front of him, deflecting the kunai away from him. "Damn it… She's going hysterical now!" He started to back away as the hysterical Larxene kept throwing kuani at him madly. "Roxas! Little help!?"

"Say no more." Roxas gripped his Keyblade tightly, and it shone with brilliant light. Roxas pulled his hands apart, still gripping the handle, and the lone Keyblade split into two. The light flashed out and in place of the Kingdom Key, Roxas once again held the Oblivion and Oath Keeper Keyblades in his hands. He charged at Larxene like a bull, gripping both Keyblades, and shouted at her. "Hey, Larxene!"

Larxene froze in her tracks, halting her attack, and looked to her left.

"ARC ARCANUM!" Roxas made contact and pummeled Larxene's body with his two Keyblades madly, smacking her torso, chest and pelvis hard with each rapid stroke, before stopping his flurry suddenly and sending Larxene flying with a an X-shaped stroke.

Larxene cried out as she felt the impact of Roxas' finishing combo and was sent crashing back first into a nearby group of trash cans. CRASH! Steel cans and garbage went flying everywhere from Larxene's impact. She groaned softly as she struggled back to her feet and glared angrily and tearfully at Roxas' tense and battle ready form. She clapped her hands and teleported out of sight.

Roxas did a double take at where Larxene once stood and looked all about the field. "Where is she? Where is she!?"

"Roxas! Above you!" Axel called out.

Roxas looked above to see Larxene swooping down at him, kunai filled hands sparking with lightning as she held them above her head, before swinging them down on Roxas in a hammering motion. Roxas quickly held up his Keyblades in a cross-like position. CHING! Roxas blocked the attack, as sparks and bolts flew about and crackled against the metal of the Keyblades. Roxas put all of his weight into his Keyblades, and broke them apart from the X-formation, and sent Larxene back up into the air. "Here I come! FINAL BREAK!" Roxas leapt into the air after Larxene and struck her hard with a blow from the Oath Keeper, before following up with a blow from the Oblivion, and finally swimming both Keyblades down upon her shoulders sending her straight into the ground below, breaking the pavement underneath her. Roxas landed back on solid ground and walked carefully over to where Larxene was. "Larxene?" He leaned over and gently prodded her with Oblivion. "Speak to me… Can you stand?"

Larxene's eyes shot open and she back flipped away from Roxas, albeit limping and panting where she was standing.

Axel ran to Roxas' side. "Larxene, enough! It's over!" He yelled, trying to get Larxene to halt her attack.

Larxene shuddered. It's—not—over—until I SAY SO!" She shrieked. "TRINE!"

A pyramid of lightning suddenly engulfed and twirled rotated around Roxas and Axel, trapping them in a field of electricity, immobilizing them and pumping intense voltage through them for a good 5 seconds, before dissipating. Both boys dropped to their knees, still not having total control of their fiery nerves and contracting muscles just yet.

Larxene stumbled toward them weakly. "Now you two listen to me…" She said in a weak shaky voice. "I'm doing this because I don't have a choice! I have a heart now, yes. But I might not have it for long if Marluxia has his way with me…"

Roxas gathered up his strength and got onto his feet, still holding the Oath Keeper and Oblivion Keyblades. "NO! You listen, Larxene! That heart is YOUR heart! You're acting like Marluxia's got property over it! You don't have to be his puppet!"

Larxene shook her head as tears poured down her cheeks. "It's not that easy! It's not as simple as that… I can't explain it. Either way, I'm not going to let up!" She readied her kunai.

"Well, neither am I!" Roxas brandished his Keyblades.

"Larxene…" Axel looked at her worriedly, before casting his glance to Roxas. 'They can't keep going like this…someone's gonna get hurt. And I'm worried that it's gonna be both of them!'

"BOLT BALL!!" Larxene fired more intense balls of electricity at Roxas.

"PEARL!" Roxas countered with a barrage of light orbs, and nullified the bolt balls. Once Larxene's attack had been nullified, Roxas started to glow with white light a she chanted another spell. "HOLY!" He pointed out Oath Keeper and pearls of light, the size of coconuts shot from the Keyblade and began to encircle Larxene, gathering light energy all around her until… SHOOM! Light erupted from the ground below Larxene and engulfed her, her screams of pain coming from within the column of light.

When the light dissipated, Larxene moaned softly as she fell to her knees, breathing raggedly. "C-Can't beat him…"

"Larxene—give it up. NOW!" Roxas said sternly. "This fight's pointless."

"N-No…" Larxene whispered, as her tears started to pitter onto the ground. She weakly tried to stand up. "I— I can't stop…" She started to crackle with electricity. "I won't stop!"

"Then, neither will I. Not until I get through to you!" Roxas started to glow with light, as did his Keyblades.

"Larxene! Roxas! Stop!" Axel cried out to them.

"WATER!" Out of nowhere a barrage of water bubbles assaulted the two fighters, stunning them and splashing them with intense cold water, and causing them to lose concentration and to halt their attacks, before being knocked down from the ferocity of the onslaught.

"Ugh…" Roxas shook his hair dry. "What was that?"

"Ptui!" Larxene spat out some water. "I've already had my shower today!"

"Finally, that cooled you guys down." A voice said.

Axel looked around the area as he sprinkled a hi-potion all over himself and rejuvenating himself. "That attack—and that voice." He stood back up. "Come one out Demyx! I know it's you!"

Out of the Alleyway leading into the Market Place, the figure of Demyx, the Melodious Nocturne stepped out, sitar in hand with a nervous smile. "H-Hey guys! How've you all been?" He turned around and his face fell to a worried, panicked expression. "Oh man… How did Axel pick me out so easily? What if they think I'm their enemy too? Some sneak attack I did." He turned right around to see Axel in front. "YAHA!" He jumped back and gulped.

"It's ok Demyx, I don't think you're the enemy. If anything you prevented an all out free-for-all brawl." Axel said, a little amused at Demyx's state.

"I…I did?" Demyx looked over and saw Roxas and Larxene, all wet and dazed, interrupted from the intense battle. "Oh! I mean… Of course I did!" He stood up high. "Yeah, that fight was gonna get outta hand there."

"Thanks." Axel said. "Now maybe I could talk some sense into them." He ran off over to other two organization members.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Demyx put his sitar away and chased after Axel.

Larxene was soaked head to toe by Demyx's water attack, but she did admit the dousing made her feel a little better. She wiped the wet hair from out of her eyes, in time to see Axel coming her way, with Demyx right behind him. 'Demyx? What's he doing here?'

Axel stopped right in front of Larxene and knelt down. He gently brought her face toward him and spoke sternly. "Are you ready to listen now?"

Larxene found herself staring into Axel's eyes, unable to look anywhere else. She slowly felt her resolve wear away and nodded. "Ok… I'm ready to listen."

'It's about time.' Roxas thought as he stood up.

"Hey Roxas. Need a towel?" Demyx conjured up a towel and held it out.

"Thanks Demyx." Roxas thanked the Melodious Nocturne, before he took the towel and started to dry himself, while listening to Axel and Larxene.

"Now look Larxene." Axel told the Savage Nymph. "You think there's no way out except to follow Marluxia. Well you're wrong. There IS a way out. You ARE a free woman now, with your own heart. Marluxia can't take that away. He has a heart too, but he ignores that, still living like a Nobody. But you can be different from him. You know better now."

"But… What if he comes after me?" Larxene was worried about that most of all.

"Then we'll protect you. I'LL protect you." Axel told her softly, before pulling her into a hug.

'He'll—protect me?' Larxene found herself not only blushing from Axel's words, but also the close contact from the hug. Now, she REALLY felt the true essence of her new heart, because she could feel it beating faster and faster as Axel held her.

The two former Nobodies were so caught up in the moment, they forgot about their two blonde friends watching close behind.

"Oh boy…" Roxas rolled his eyes in amusement. "Now we've lost him."

"I think it's kinda sweet…" Demyx said with a smile.

"Yeah, sure YOU'D think that." Roxas joked. "You always were the soft one." He laughed.

"Oh, SOFT am I?" Demyx gave Roxas a look before grabbing him in a headlock and noogieing him like crazy. "I'll show you who's soft!" He laughed.

"AAAAAAAAAAACK!" Roxas exclaimed as he was noogied.

After what seemed like a long time, Larxene and Axel pulled away. And it was then that Axel noticed something. "Um—Larxene—" He started to blush a bit. "Maybe we'd better get you into some drier clothes, before you bear more than you're soul." He pointed to her shirt.

Larxene looked down at herself, and realized that black lacy bra was showing through her wet t-shirt. "ACK!" She quickly folder her arms over her chest, and blushed.

Axel couldn't help but smirk smoothly. "Did you get a little bigger, over time?" He said slyly.

"AXEL!" Larxene turned away, blushing more and fuming a little.

"Hey, I was just paying you a compliment." Axel said, still smiling.

Larxene rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, and taking an opportunity to tell me how big you think my boobs are."

"Well, I know I've got good taste." He told her.

Larxene blushed harder at that, but started to smile a little. "Hmm… I guess you do, Axel. I guess you do…" She started to stand up. "Ugh… I hate the feel of wet cotton against my skin." She looked down at her feet, and noticed her bootlace on her left shoe was undone. "Whoops, I'd better do that up before I trip." She bent right over to do up her lace, forgetting that she was leaving herself open from behind.

Axel's eyes widened as Larxene bent right over, and her wet skirt rode up, causing her lacey black underwear to peek out from her tight round rump. 'H-O-T. I got THAT memorized…'

Later that night…

Naminé looked out of her bedroom window at the moon above. Even after a year or so it still felt odd, how she now had the whole mansion to call her own. No more single room to be confined too, no more Organization members to jeer and torment her. Roxas, Axel, Larxene, and Demyx were different though. Roxas and Axel were her best friends, and Demyx and Larxene were nice and respectful in their own way. Roxas… As Nobodies they had a special bond, which went deeper than being the Nobodies of Sora and Kairi. Perhaps their feelings were true then as they were now. Now that Naminé had a heart of her own, those feelings were more evident and stronger. She valued Roxas as a dear friend, but perhaps as something more as well. Every time she was around him, she felt warm and safe, like she was on top of the world. Someday she would tell him how she felt, but until then she was happy with the way things were now. Gently slipping off her dress, Naminé crawled onto the bed in only her white cotton bra and panties with red hearts and gently nestled down into the covers, the moonlight shining down on her beautiful form, making her look like a sleeping serene angel as she thought of Roxas.

Olette sat at the edge of her bed looking at a photograph of her and the gang. Mostly, she found herself looking at and thinking of Roxas. The more she thought about Roxas, the faster her heart beat. It felt like she and Roxas had been friends forever, and now Olette was thinking. Could they be more? Olette sure wanted it to be, seeing as how she had requested they go shopping together. Olette had secretly been flirting with Roxas in her own way, what with modeling bikinis in front of him and all. The day had been perfect, until that idiot Seifer had pantsed her and gave Roxas a long hard view at her underwear. But she couldn't help but notice Roxas sneaking peeks at her. Did he like what he saw? She stood in front of her mirror looking at her reflection, and started to strip out of her clothes. She pulled off her orange tank-top leaving her yellow laced bra on her maturing breasts, and unbuttoned her khaki pants, letting them fall to her ankles, revealing yellow laced panties. She looked herself over in the mirror from top to bottom. Did he actually like this body of hers? She smiled a little and giggled as she remembered his bashful look. To her, Roxas looked so cute when he was all flustered like that. Turning her back to the mirror, she skipped over to her bedside and slipped into bed, pulling the blanket over her partially as she went to sleep, dreaming of Roxas.

TO BE CONTINUED


	7. Hot Under the Collar

(Chapter 7's on the way. Bet you're all eager to see what Marluxia's up to now, eh? Now that Larxene's defected, I guess it's time for Steiner to step in. And what of Roxas' little love triangle? Let's find out, shall we? I don't own Kingdom Hearts. That belongs to Square Enix and Disney.)

CHAPTER 7

It was a sunny morning in Twilight Town; the sun was just rising above the rooftops. Demyx was walking around a secluded alleyway where the local trash man usually piled up all of his junk before sending it to the compactor. Today, it was empty; he had disposed of the garbage last night. Now Demyx was here to do what he usually did early in the morning: practice his sitar playing.

"Here we go…nice and quiet, no hecklers, just me and my sitar." He took out the instrument and started to play a soft, melodic tune. After a few seconds of picking and strumming, he was about to sing when—

CRASH! "AGH!"

Demyx reeled back as the weight of cold porcelain suddenly made contact with his skull. Clutching his head in pain, he looked down to see the shattered remains of a vase on the ground. "Not again!" he exclaimed. "Why the hell would—AH!" He ducked as another vase came at him; it shattered against the brick wall behind him. The sound of the crash was followed by the sound of obnoxious laughter from above. Demyx looked up to see some teenage hooligans snickering and pointing at him.

"Aw man, we really got him that time!"

"Dude, you got him right in the head! That was awesome!"

"Hey!" Demyx growled, pointing back at them. "Look you kids, don't fricking do that, alright!? I gotta make money and eat too, ya know! Why don't you—GAH!" SMASH! A pot struck him right in the head, shattering on contact. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T CUT IT OUT, YA LITTLE PRICKS!!" Demyx shrieked, swinging his sitar around like a bat. He stopped, taking a deep breath to calm down.

'Gee, thanks a lot, Sora—thanks for reviving me to be used for target practice,' he thought bitterly. He turned back to the kids. "I'm warning you: don't throw stuff at me anymore. I'm getting sick of this. I oughta—YAGH!" Suddenly Demyx was bombarded with vases, plates, and flower pots. SMASH! CRASH! BREAK! SHATTER! "STOP! STOP! OH! AH! AH JESUS!" Demyx dodged and weaved as different objects were thrown at him, some shattering against the floor and walls, some actually hitting him.

The two boys were cracking up at the moving target below them. What better way to break in the morning by playing a good old game of "Hit the Musician"? Unfortunately, their amusement was short-lived.

"WATER!" Demyx shouted as he strummed his sitar. Suddenly, what looked and felt like a barrage of water balloons splattered upon the boys like mad. SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

"WHOA! AUGH! AH, YOU BASTARD! CHRIST THAT'S COLD!" The two boys did a frantic dance as they were splashed, and then took off like twin shots.

Once they were out of sight, Demyx chuckled. "That'll teach 'em." Turning around, he happily resumed playing his sitar. Sadly, he never noticed the last plate coming for him—until it struck him in the back of his head. SMASH! "ARGH! DAMN IT!"

Meanwhile…

Roxas gave one last swing of his Keyblade, striking his target and sending it straight into the empty garage with a loud CRASH! The cart's wheels shattered upon landing, but the bag itself was safe and sound.

Roxas wiped the sweat from his brow. It had taken a lot of muscle to get that heavy cart up the hill, using the Keyblade as a baseball bat. But he managed to do it in less than twenty seconds, as he had agreed with the owner. Now came Roxas' favorite part of performing odd jobs: the pay. He waited as the owner came up to him with a satisfied smile.

"Alright Roxas, that'll do nicely," the owner told him, taking out a small yellow pouch. "Here's 1000 munny, just as I promised."

"Thank you, sir." Roxas took the pouch graciously.

"Same time tomorrow, then?"

"You bet!" Roxas waved as he headed towards the direction of the shopping plaza. He walked past the item, tossing his pay up and down in his hand. With it and the pay he had received from the other two jobs he had taken care of that morning, from the billboard near the path between the item shop and the station, he had earned 2000 munny. Adding that to the 1500 munny he had earned from the shopping plaza earlier, he now had 3500 munny to spend. Doing one small job gave a little pocket change, but doing many small jobs amounted to quite a nest egg.

"Although," Roxas murmured as he walked into the shopping plaza, "no doubt Axel makes much more than me with his teaching job." Then he started to snicker. "Knowing Axel, he's gonna have his fun. He's probably throwing in a few dirty words for them to spell, even a swear word or two…" He altered his voice a little to mimic Axel's: "Okay, children, here are the words for today: F-U-C-K. S-H-I-T. P-I-S-S. Got it memorized?" He chuckled to himself, "A-N-A-L S-E-X. Got it memorized?"

Roxas burst out laughing as the thought of Axel teaching THAT to the children swam through his brain. He doubled over, experiencing imagery of Axel the Potty Mouthed Teacher for about twenty seconds—then he calmed down, regaining his composure. He sighed and looked around, then suddenly spotted someone out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, it's Olette…wonder what she's doing?"

Olette was over by the accessory shop, looking over what they had on sale. She was dressed in a small grey tank top, which left her soft belly exposed, and some snug low rider jeans, the waistband of her underwear peeking out. Currently she was admiring some beautiful Mage Earrings and was going through her purse, making sure she had enough munny. Suddenly, she sneezed, causing some of the munny to fall out and onto the ground. "Damn—I'd better pick that up."

Roxas was about to go over and help Olette pick up her munny when he saw her bend over in her low rider jeans. Now he realized why they were called "standing room only" pants. As the low waist slid down from Olette's bending, almost making it seem they would fall off, her yellow silk panties rose up and peeked out for the world to see. Roxas blushed and turned away. 'Yellow looks good on her…' Turning back, he started to walk towards her, his eyes still seeming to fixate on the peeking panties. "Uh—Olette?" He fought down his blush and tried to act cool.

"Roxas?" Olette stood back up and turned around. "Oh, hey!" she greeted him with a smile. "What's up?"

"I just finished my errands for the day," Roxas said happily. "Got my pay and I'm ready to spend. How about you?"

"I'm just browsing around the accessory shop," Olette said. She glanced down at herself. "Oops!" she exclaimed, tugging her jeans up a little. "Damn low riders," she cursed. "I can't bend over or stand without my underwear peeking out of these things."

'So I saw,' Roxas thought. "Oh, wait," he exclaimed, remembering, "there's one more thing I need to do. Can you come with me over to Naminé's house?"

"Sure. What does she need?"

"Well, she's been trying to do some storage and tidying up, but apparently she has a lot of junk lying around and she says it's a two- or three-person job," Roxas explained, motioning towards Naminé's house. "Since you're here, you think you could lend a hand—if you have the time?"

Olette nodded. "Of course I have the time. I'm really just window shopping at the moment, so why don't I do something productive?"

"Great! Let's go." Roxas led the way.

The two teens were soon outside the open gates of the White Mansion, as Naminé had jokingly renamed it, when Olette realized something.

"Hey Roxas? Why do you and Naminé call this the 'White Mansion,' when it really doesn't look white at all?"

Roxas just smirked mysteriously. "Not on the outside it doesn't, but just wait until you see inside." The two of them walked through the gates and into the small courtyard. As Olette checked out the statue heads around the hedges, Roxas couldn't resist pointing out something. "Now, try not to be tempted into singing 'Grim Grinning Ghosts,' alright?"

"Huh?" Olette looked at him, confused, "'Grim Grinning Ghosts?' What the hell?"

"Well, after Pence told Axel the old rumors, Axel couldn't resist imagining the busts singing that song." Roxas chuckled at the memory.

Olette cast a strange look before joining in on the laugh. "Hehehehe… Axel sure is an oddball, you know?" She made sure to say 'you' ad not 'ya,' to avoid sounding like Rai.

"Don't I know it." Roxas shook his head, laughing softly. "You know, right now, I can just picture him slipping some bad words into his teaching. Poor little kids are gonna end up swearing like sailors at such a young age and the parents will have a fit—and Axel's gonna love every minute of it." He once again imitated Axel's voice: "Okay, kids, our next word is B-U-T-T-S-E-X. Got it memorized?"

Olette burst into a fit of giggles. "Hahahahaha! That's it! That's exactly like him!"

"Of course," Roxas snickered. "I've lived around this guy for so long, I know how he thinks, and, unfortunately, know his sense of humor," He mock-grimaced. "Yeah, he's odd, but I still like him." He smiled fondly as they walked up to the front doors. He reached over and knocked firmly, then waited with Olette for about ten seconds—then they heard footsteps approaching. The doors opened wide to reveal Naminé in her usual white dress, ready to greet them.

"Oh, Roxas! Olette! Thank goodness you two are here;" Naminé said happily, "this job's taking forever for me to do myself."

"It's no trouble at all, Naminé," Roxas said as he and Olette walked in. "We're happy to help you out."

"What exactly are you having trouble with?" Olette inquired. "What do you—AGH?" She was suddenly blinded by the foyer of whiteness. "AH! White! It's too bright!"

Roxas and Naminé laughed. "Yeah, Axel and I said the same," Roxas replied, "but who are we to make Naminé choose?"

"Hey!" Naminé mock-scolded him. "White happens to be my favorite color, okay?" She playfully hit Roxas, and then turned to Olette. "Apparently, Ansem allowed a whole pile of junk to gather in the dining room when he still lived here, and I'm trying to get it out." She sighed in annoyance. "But there's too much stuff in there," she groaned, shaking her head, "and I'm tired of having to take my meals up into my bedroom or the library."

"Hey, it's nothing that a little extra elbow grease, and maybe a few smacks from the Keyblade, can't handle," Roxas said; he produced the Kingdom Key in his hand and turned to Olette. "Feel like a little house cleaning?"

"I think I can manage," Olette assured him. "Lead the way, Naminé."

"Thanks guys, I knew I could count on you," Naminé said, smiling as she walked them to the dining room, "but I warn you—it's quite a mess." She opened the doors.

"Aw, I'm sure it can't be that bad," Roxas said as he stepped in—but at that moment, he got a far better look at his surroundings. The dining room was the only room not painted white, and with good reason. The table was still smashed right down the middle, suits of armor had been smashed and thrown about the place, and piles of junk—like clothes, machinery parts, and old weapons—were strewn all around. "Ugh…" Roxas grimaced.

"Maybe it IS that bad," Olette said, looking uneasy.

"I told you," Naminé laughed nervously.

Roxas brandished his Keyblade. "Leave this to me, ladies," he said. He targeted a nearby geography globe and swung the Keyblade at it like a baseball bat. The blade knocked the globe into a set of three piles, breaking them into pieces small enough to be swept. Roxas ran up to another pile and smacked the junk into the air—then he lunged upward and spin-slashed in a little tornado, sucking up bits of junk and smashing them into pieces, letting them rain all over the dining room floor. Finally, he landed on the ground and used Sonic Rave, cleaving through the last few junk piles over and over until nothing but small fragments were left, scattered everywhere. Exhaling, he turned to the ladies with a smile and asked, "Anyone got a broom or vacuum cleaner?"

The girls applauded him, grinning in amazement. "Thank you SO much Roxas," Naminé chirped, "you've been a big help."

"Wow! That was so cool, Roxas!" Olette gushed.

"Aw, thanks girls." Roxas rubbed the back of his head modestly. "So, would you say vacuum cleaner or broom?" he asked, getting back on the subject.

"There's a vacuum in the broom closet," Naminé told him, "and thanks to your handiwork, all the junk is in tiny pieces that can easily be sucked up." She walked over and kissed him on the cheek, whispering, "Thank you so much," in his ear.

Roxas blushed slightly, his eyes wide. 'Wow…'

Olette felt a pang of jealousy. 'Two can play that game.' She walked up to Roxas and kissed his other cheek saying, "Great job, Roxas."

Roxas turned a second shade of red at Olette's kiss, much to Naminé's jealousy—

BAM! BAM!

A loud banging on the front doors drew the attention of the three teens. "Hello? HELLO! Is anyone there?" a loud masculine voice bellowed aggressively. "Answer me before I am forced to break down this door! I am a man on a mission here!"

"What the hell," Roxas exclaimed, "I don't like the sound of that—that guy sounds dangerous." He brandished the Keyblade, ready for action. "Should I fight him?"

"I don't know, Roxas," Naminé said worriedly, "we don't know how strong this guy might be; we should hide first and check him out from a distance. Let's hide in the broom closet!" She quickly ran over to said closet on the other side of the foyer, Roxas and Olette close behind. Naminé swung the door open and the trio piled into the small closet, shutting the door behind them—just as the front door burst open.

Steiner had finally gotten into the mansion after giving the door a big shoulder-ram. He cried out and covered his eyes—brilliant white light was shining out, threatening to blind him. "Argh! So—bright—can't—look directly at it," he hissed.

When his eyes finally adjusted, Steiner drew his massive sword. "Is anyone here?" he bellowed. "I'm looking for a Miss Naminé! I'm requesting information on a woman named Larxene!"

Roxas grimaced at the yelling. "God damn, he's loud," he whispered, peeking through the slight opening in the door. His eyes widened at the sight of the man outside. "Jesus, he's huge, too."

"What can you see out there?" Naminé whispered in question.

"I see a big knight with a big sword," Roxas replied worriedly, "who's clad head to toe in armor. That sword looks like it could easily cut a dining room table in half." He retreated to the back of the closet, whispering to the girls, "We'd better not make a sound."

"Unh…it's so tight in here," Olette moaned as she pressed her body up against Roxas', her back against the wall.

"I didn't realize how small it was in here," Naminé agreed; she too was up against the wall, her front pressed snugly up against Roxas.

The poor boy's mind was going a mile a minute; on each side, an ample pair of breasts was pressed up against him, softly squished against his torso. The fact that both his arms were wrapped around the girls—and his hands were near their bottoms—only added to his anxiety.

"R-Roxas…y-your hand…" Naminé gasped, blushing as she looked down.

Roxas felt around with his left hand, its arm around Naminé. He realized with a shock that it was right on her red-heart panties—her dress had ridden up due to that same hand. Roxas began to sweat with nervousness…

"Roxas," Olette suddenly piped up, surprise and uncertainty in her voice. "Why is your hand down—my—p-pants?"

Roxas realized that his right hand was right down Olette's pants—right on HER panties too. NOW he was in a spot! Here he was hiding from some deranged knight, trapped in a closet with two beautiful girls, their chests pressed up against him and his hands up their skirts—or down their pants, in Olette's case—and worst of all, he was _touching their underwear_.

He peeked outside, inwardly cursing as he saw the large knight still prowling around. Out of nervousness, he started wringing his hands—but he found himself rubbing each palm against something he knew he should NOT be touching. It didn't help that his accidental groping was causing both girls to moan with pleasure.

Whatever was going on in the broom closet, Steiner paid no attention—or perhaps he couldn't hear it. "Blast it. I don't think anyone's home," he grumbled, looking all around the foyer. "So much white—not even hospitals are this white. I bet Heaven isn't even this white," he mused as he wandered over to the dining room.

Roxas was undergoing utter mental turmoil—AND pleasure; his two cute female friends had their chests pressed up right against him, while he had his hands on their panty-clad rears. His unwanted excitement started to affect his brain dramatically; as he closed his eyes, he started to go into a world of fantasy—a very naughty fantasy…

Outside the closet, Steiner sighed, exasperated. "There's nobody here. Damn it! I guess I must check elsewhere," he moaned. He walked from the foyer and out of the house, slamming the door behind him as his metallic footsteps clanked away. WHAM!

That lone noise snapped Roxas back to reality. He was still in the closet with the girls. He quickly bolted out the door and over to the foyer window, much to the girls' surprise. His breathing was deep and ragged, his face red and sweaty. He had never had a fantasy like THAT before. "Jesus," he breathed, "what the hell's the matter with me?"

"Roxas?"

"Are you okay?"

He turned around to see Naminé and Olette looking worriedly at him. "G-Girls?"

"Oh my," Naminé murmured as she looked at Roxas' face. "Do you have a fever?"

"Yeah, Roxas, your face is all red—"

"Uh, n-n-no. I'm fine, really." Roxas smiled nervously. "It's just that it was hot. Yeah, it was really hot in that broom closet—" 'And it was hot in my brain too,' he thought, completely embarrassed.

TO BE CONTINUED


	8. The Knight in Rusty Armor

(Now, I bet some of you are interested in what Axel's up to, or maybe what's become of Larxene. Well, I think we should go and check. Let's hope they don't run into Steiner. I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its charas. They're either owned by Square Enix or Disney, depending on whom that character is.)

CHAPTER 8

Another day of had ended at Twilight Elementary, and Axel was busy seeing off all of his students and making sure they caught the bus home. As he watched the bus pull away, he chuckled to himself. "Well, I hope the parents don't get TOO mad when they find out about the "special words" I taught the kiddies," Axel told himself, "though it's better they find out from me rather than the TV or their parents. Besides, TV and video games get a bad enough rap as it is." Putting a hand into his lunch bag, he pulled out a green apple and bit into it as he left the school grounds. "I wonder what Roxas and the girls are up to," Axel wondered, "but maybe I should go see how Larxene's doing."

Meanwhile, Steiner was prowling through the streets still on his search. "Blast it," he cursed, "why did Miss Naminé have to be absent from her home? Now how am I to find Miss Larxene," he groaned as he looked all around, "when I don't know where to start looking?" At this point he was wishing that Marluxia had given him a little more information to go on. As he turned a corner, he saw a familiar looking red-haired man coming his way.

"Maybe I should go see how Larxene's doing."

Steiner's eyes widened. 'Larxene!?' He ducked behind the wall and watched the man pass by him. "Why, that's Axel," Steiner remembered, "the one Marluxia told me about. He just mentioned Larxene! I'd best follow the knave and find that electrical wench." Steiner slowly followed Axel from a distance, so that Axel wouldn't hear the squeaking of his rusty armor. 'Blast it, I really SHOULD clean my armor sometime,' Steiner thought, "But how on earth do I keep getting all this rust?"

Ever since they managed to coax Larxene out of Marluxia's control, they all agreed that Larxene live with Axel for the time being. Axel had no complaints about it and surprisingly, neither did Larxene. This was strange for Axel because during their times as Nobodies, Larxene's title was the "Savage Nymph" was justified due to her reputation as an abrasive sadist, who took great deal in tormenting her enemies. However, both he and Marluxia were the only ones closest to her, and surprisingly she considered them her only friends. Axel's other friends didn't really get along with Larxene; as Demyx was afraid of her and her torturous fighting techniques (despite the fact that she was of a lower rank than him), and Roxas despised her for her sadistic nature and attitude (not surprisingly, his hatred increased after what Larxene had done to Sora when he first met the Organization and how she treated Naminé during her final confrontation with Sora). Axel admitted, Larxene was difficult to get along with sometimes (especially since she got a real kick out of antagonizing, insulting, and teasing him), and her passion for torture and sadism did make her seem quite fearsome; but through all the insults and antagonism towards him, Axel was told Larxene did has some level of fondness and respect for him. Of course, Axel didn't believe it at first. But nowadays he was thinking: Could they have been right? How DID Larxene feel about him? How did HE feel about HER?

Meanwhile, at Axel's house, Larxene was in the living room, curled up on the couch, reading her favorite book: "Marquis de Sade," the life and times of the infamous French writer of the same name and the founder of sadism. You could say he was Larxene's idol, which was understandable given Larxene's passion for sadism. It was this passion that earned her an equal amount of teasing from the one Organization member she loved to tease and irritate, Axel. Due to her love of Sadism, Axel would often tease Larxene by saying she had whips and chains in her closet, and wore leather underwear underneath her cloak. 'Heh. Oh Axel,' Larxene thought as she read her book, 'there's no doubt in my mind you'd LOVE to be on the receiving end of a whip as long as it's from me.' An image appeared in Larxene's mind of Axel in a leather Speedo and chains, with her in a leather teddy, thigh-high boots, and brandishing a long whip. A giggle escaped Larxene's lips as she thought of Axel shouting, 'I'm bad! Whip me, mistress!' "Maybe he'd look good in leather," Larxene told herself with another giggle, "even if he is a tad on the skinny side. He probably wears a girdle or a corset to keep that figure." Larxene burst into a fit of giggles at the thought of Axel in a leather corset along with the Speedo, but also had a slight blush on her face.

The sound of the door opening suddenly brought up Larxene's attention as she looked up from her book, in time to see Axel walk in. For a brief moment, Larxene's fantasy replayed in her mind as she briefly imagined Axel in a leather Speedo and gimp mask. Once more she allowed herself a giggle at the naughty fantasy.

Axel watched as Larxene briefly looked up from her novel to giggle at him with a weird smile as he stepped inside. Cocking an eyebrow, wondering what sort of freaky ideas Larxene had gotten from her reading, he started to walk past her and asked, "What's so funny Larxene?" He looked at her choice of reading warily, wondering if her thoughts were something Sadism related.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" Larxene said giving the Flurry of Dancing Flames a mock innocent smile and fluttered her eyelashes.

Axel cast a worried glance at Larxene's mock innocence. "You know, maybe its better off that I don't know," he said warily and backed away before hurrying to the kitchen.

Larxene shook her head and giggled to herself. "I know just how to freak him out," she said with a grin, "and he manages to look so cute when freaked out." She suddenly halted her train of thought and blushed. "Wait a minute! Did I just say old flame head was cute!?" She shook her head and sighed, "Having my own heart again is making me go soft, I think." But even as she told herself that, she couldn't help but allow another thought of Axel to swim into her brain.

Meanwhile, outside, Steiner crept out of hiding with his sword drawn. Tailing Axel had proved to be quite rewarding, as now he knew and was standing in front of the location of his target. "Finally, I've found her," He told himself, "after all the trouble and searching I went through. Now I just have to draw them out and finish them off."

Axel was busy in the kitchen preparing supper for the night, but as he prepared the beef stew he couldn't help but wonder just WHAT Larxene had been thinking about, no matter how kinky, sadistic, or freaky it might have been. "Ah, then again she always takes every moment to mock or tease me," he told himself, "but it's kind of funny how I'm one of the few people she gets along with. We could've worked well together if she hadn't had been tempted by Marluxia's false promises. What the hell did she ever see in him anyway?" He thought with jealousy and some anger directed at Marluxia.

Axel's thoughts were interrupted as loud booming voice bellowed from outside, "Come on out, Larxene! I have a duty to find you and defeat you, you traitorous wench!"

Axel ran to the kitchen window to see a large, stocky knight in rusty looking armor, hopping up and down, bellowing at the house for Larxene to come on out. "Who the hell is that," Axel asked himself, "making such a scene like that? Hoo boy, he must have a death wish to challenged Larxene and call her something like a wench."

Outside, Steiner watched as the door flew open, revealing a rather vexed looking Larxene.

"Who the hell are you calling a wench!?" Larxene demanded angrily.

"Aha! So the target has shown her self," Steiner said triumphantly, as if he had already won the fight. "By order of my client, Mr. Marluxia, I, Aldebert Steiner, must kill you!"

"Marluxia!?" Axel summoned up his chakrams and bolted out of the kitchen, heading towards Larxene. "Damn it! He's one of Marluxia's goons," Axel announced as he joined Larxene outside.

"What, is he too proud to come and get us himself?" Larxene scoffed.

"Enough talk," Steiner shouted, "Prepare to die!" Steiner waved his sword around as the blade began to glow with heat energy, until it suddenly ignited in flames. "Flametongue!" He announced before he jumped at the two Organization members and swung his sword at them, shooting flames all around himself.

Axel narrowly dodged the incoming flames with Larxene and readied his chakrams. "Sorry pal," he told Steiner, "but I'm the only one who's going to be too hot to handle!" Axel's chakrams set them selves ablaze as he spun them around like fan blades, before he launched them like shurikens at Steiner.

"Bah! Children's toys!" Steiner gave two quick swings of his sword and deflected the chakrams back at Axel, who caught them in mid-air. "Blade Beam!" Steiner raised his blade behind his shoulder, before slashing through the air and sending a shockwave of energy directly at Axel, cutting through his body and knocking him backwards.

"Axel!" Larxene cried out, "Are you—AGH!" Larxene had no time to dodge as an aftershock of Steiner's attack emitted from Axel and right at Larxene, not hurting as much as it did Axel but still reasonably painful. Dropping to her knees, Larxene hissed at the pain igniting her nerves. She stood back up shakily and produced a set of kunai in each fist. "If you expect me to go home crying, then forget it. Because big girls don't cry," Larxene told her opponent, "they get even!" She raised her kunai into the air and began to produce electricity from each one, concentrating it all into a single point above her and creating a growing ball of electricity.

'That's the same attack she once used against Roxas,' Axel thought as he started to recover from Steiner's attack.

"BOLT BALL!" Larxene threw her attack at Steiner.

Steiner held out his sword in a blocking position but was unprepared for the attack's effect as, when the attack hit, he was suddenly caught in an electrical gravity field that seemed to immobilize and slowly crush him. "URGH! What manner of trickery is this?"

"Something that gives us an opening," Axel retorted. "FIRE WALL!" Axel raised his hands into the air, and columns of flame began to erupt from the ground in front of him in a wall formation, before they moved forward and swept up Steiner, his cries of pain a sign of success.

By the time the "firewall" had dissipated, Steiner was left, down on his knees, his armor scorched black and his face showing slight burns and groaning. He was lucky that he was wearing thick armor, which had absorbed some of the pain and damage of Axel's attack, or else he could have been seriously hurt. "Impressive," Steiner complimented as he got to his feet, "But I'm not down and out yet!" He gripped his sword tightly. "It's time to cut you knaves, right down to the bone! ARMOR BREAK!" Steiner leapt at Larxene with his sword glowing and slashed right at her. The blade seemed to cut right through to the bone, igniting Larxene's nerves with intense pain and seemingly draining her vitality.

Larxene cried out in pain as she suddenly felt as weak as a kitten and extremely sensitive, physically. "My strength," she moaned, "is disappearing?"

Steiner chuckled aloud. "Armor Break cuts right through my enemy's defenses," he explained, "and makes them twice as weak to physical attacks." He tapped the flat edge of his sword on his opposite armored palm as he started to walk towards Larxene.

Axel darted in front of Larxene, as if trying to shield her from Steiner. "Don't you understand who you're working for?" Axel pointed at Steiner as he spoke. "Marluxia's not as gentlemanly and refined as he seems! He's actually a pretty evil dude, whom we've had some bad experiences with!"

"What a joke," Steiner snorted. "You actually expect me to believe that that man whom I spoke too is some unrefined tyrant who's trying to cause trouble in Twilight Town? And why should I believe those words?"

"That's because, it's the truth!"

Steiner tore his watch from Axel and turned to the source of the shout. He looked over to see the figure of a blonde teenage boy; dressed in white and carrying two very familiar looking swords which were both each in the shape of a key. His eyes widened as he observed the boys weapons. "Those swords are…Keyblades!?"

Roxas shrugged, keeping his warning glare as he brandished the Oath Keeper and Oblivion Keyblades. "Yes they are. You've heard the legend haven't you?"

"Of course I have," Steiner shouted, "I'm not a fool!" He studied Roxas for a moment. "Tell me Keybearer; is your name Sora, by any chance?"

"No, my name's Roxas," Roxas smirked, "But you're close. I'm Sora's Nobody!"

"Roxas? Nobody? Axel? Larxene? Marluxia?" Steiner was slowly starting to put two and two together. "You are… You're all from Organization XIII! I've been duped!"

"Geeze, this guy is slow," Axel grumbled as he gave Larxene and himself a Megalixir.

Larxene sighed in contentment as she felt the Megalixir's healing nutrients enter her body and heal her internally; undoing the damage done from Steiner's attack.

Steiner meanwhile was squaring off against Roxas now, as he gripped his sword tightly. "Well, it seems that after this little job, I should pay Marluxia a visit and demand an explanation!"

"You can do that without fighting us," Roxas told him, but kept his Keyblades up to defend his self. "We're not your enemies! Listen to your heart and"

"A Nobody doesn't even know what a heart is," Steiner protested before he rushed Roxas. "So be quiet and feel the taste of my Murasame's blade!" He swung his massive Sword at Roxas.

"Shit!" Roxas cried our before making a cross sign with his Keyblades as he blocked and parried the incoming attack. "Nice try, but I won't go down easy!" Roxas broke the cross block, and he struck the stocky knight across the chest with diagonal slash from one Keyblade, before following up with an opposite slash from the 2nd Keyblade and creating a deep X-shaped dent in Steiner's armor, cutting right through the metal.

Steiner grunted and stumbled back from the attack. He looked down at his now dented and scratched chest plate. "Blast that Keyblade cut right through my steel armor!" He looked back up at Roxas and narrowed his eyes. "It's been a while since I had a worthy opponent to face."

"Oh really? Then allow me to make the fight more interesting!" Roxas slide dashed at Steiner, and swung a Keyblade down upon Steiner.

CHING! CHING! CHING!

Steiner had blocked successively with his Murasame sword and now struggled to keep it up as Roxas swung down Keyblade after Keyblade upon the knight sword. He slowly started to back away as Roxas kept on swinging, before he suddenly broke his block and swung his sword around, throwing Roxas off a little bit. "Now it's time for a little shish kabob," Steiner told Roxas as he held his sword in an impaling position. Positioning his feet, ready to push himself forward, Steiner lunged at Roxas blade first. "CLIMHAZZARD!"

Roxas barely had time to dodge roll out of the way as Steiner rushed past, trying to impale him on the end of his Murasame. 'That was close," Roxas thought as he looked at the destruction left in the wake of the attack. Barrels and crates lay in splinters of wood, bits of iron, and loose nails from Steiner's impact. 'He's like an iron bull,' Roxas thought warily. 'That Climhazzard attack looks like Sonic Rave on steroids.' Wasting no more time, he slide dashed at Steiner as the knight's back was turned and knocked him into the air with an Aerial Sweep. He then before leaping after his foe, placing a flurry of combos using both Keyblades upon the knight (and directing the majority of the blows to Steiner's damaged chest plate), before spinning around in a vortex swinging both Keyblades around, and creating an intense vacuum the pulled Steiner in for Roxas to do maximum damage.

Steiner had no time to react as he was caught of guard and thrown into the air, before Roxas assaulted him with a dual Keyblade combo, and drew him into a vacuum/vortex attack. 'Argh! What skill and power!' Stiener was in awe of Roxas' ability. 'He really IS the Nobody of the Key Bearer and lives up to his reputation as one of the Organization's fiercest fighters.'

Finally there was a small explosion of energy as Roxas finished his combo and sent Steiner crashing into the ground below, sending pieces of his armor about the place. Roxas landed on his feet, still gripping his Keyblades tightly. "How was that for a 'worthy opponent'?" Roxas mocked Steiner's earlier words.

Stienr grunted heavily as he stuck Murasame into the ground like a cane and pulled himself up. "Impressive," Steiner complimented. "You've certainly been quite a challenge. Your reputation in the Organization perceives you." As Steiner spoke, his sword began to spark with electricity as he gripped the handle. "But I'm not going to go down so easily." He leapt up into the air, his sword sparking heavily with electricity, before he hollered, "THUNDER BLADE!" Steiner sliced the air in front of him, sending a wave of electricity at Roxas, engulfing the former Organization member in electricity.

Roxas screamed in pain as his body was pumped with 100 volts of pure electricity, as if he were struck by lightning. He was shocked for 5 seconds before, Steiner landed, ceasing the attack. Roxas dropped to his knees, every nerve in his body burning, not even being able to think straight.

'Aha! I've got him now,' Steiner thought as he charged at the disoriented Roxas. "Now it's time for to feel my pain! MINUS STRIKE!" He slashed his sword at Roxas.

SLASH!

Roxas cried out as he fell to the ground, blood splattering onto the pavement, feeling immense physical pain and exhaustion. "Wh-Why did I become…so…tired?"

"My Minus Strike," Steiner informed, "gathers up all of my physical pain and tiredness into my blade and lets me direct it all at my opponent." Steiner raised the Murasame up to Roxas' head. "Now to finish the job, before I attend to the others of your kind." He raised his word backwards, ready to slash. "My Iai Strike will take care—"

CHING!

Steiner's sword was suddenly knocked out of his grasp as a chakram and kunai; both collided into Steiner's wrist. The Knight groaned and clutched his wrist, as he turned to the direction of which the weapons were thrown from; to see Larxene and Axel with their hands out, glaring at Steiner.

"Back off, Tin Man! Got it Memorized?" Axel snapped his fingers, and shot out a ball of flame right at Steiner's chest.

Steiner was hit right in the chest and sent flying backwards away from Roxas.

Axel rushed over to his fallen friend on winged feet. "Roxas! Are you ok?"

"Ugh. Body hurts all over," Roxas groaned as Axel helped him to his feet, "but it's nothing a little Magic won't cure. HEAL!" Roxas cast his "Curaga" spell and green leaves of healing energy sprinkled all around him, instantly restoring the majority of stamina and health. "Ah," he sighed in relief, feeling his strength rejuvenate, "that's much better. Now where's that tin can?" Roxas looked around, until he found Steiner, just getting back to his feet. "It's time for a little payback. STRIKE RAID!" Roxas launched Oblivion at Steiner.

Steiner already saw Oblivion come at him and blocked with the Murasame, deflecting it, but left his self open for Roxas to slide dash him with Oath Keeper right in the stomach, and knock him up in the air with an aerial sweep. "WHOA!"

"Now I've got you!" Roxas leapt up and released a flurry of a combo, placing blow after blow on Steiner's torso with the Keyblade, which was starting to burn with energy, before striking Steiner away with a finishing blow. "RAGNAROK!" Roxas aimed the glowing Oath Keeper at Steiner's falling form and released a cluster of lasers that rained upon Steiner as he fell before exploding all around him. Roxas landed on the ground and picked up Oblivion, before walking over to a badly injured and weakened Steiner.

"Ugh," Steiner groaned softly, "You defeated me…"

"Now," Roxas asked, "are you willing to listen?"

Steiner's eyes flickered away for a moment. "I guess I have no choice, now. Go on and speak. Perhaps you just might convince me."

For the next few minutes, Roxas went over every detail about what had happen since Sora defeated Organization XIII, and how that a selected few nobodies regained hearts and were allowed to live their own lives as regular humans, including a few Organization members. He then went on to tell him what Marluxia was doing and the trouble he had caused before and was causing now.

Steiner absorbed every word that Roxas had said, and his face of defiance turned into one of guilt. "So that's it… Roxas, it appears that I have done you and your friends a great discourtesy, believing ill of you all and the words of a madman. I won't ask for forgiveness as my actions seem beyond it at this moment."

"Nah, it's ok," Axel told him, administering a potion to him. "Ever since we were Nobodies, we're used to being hated."

"Yeah, and manipulating people is what Marluxia does best," Larxene added.

"The three of us all have our personal beefs with him," Roxas put in, the memories of when he was Sora still lingering in his mind.

"I see," Steiner noted as the healing effects of the potion kicked in and healed his injuries. "Now the question is—"

"The question is how could you allow these 'children' to defeat you?" A proud female voice stated.

"Oh for God sakes," Roxas growled. "Don't tell me Marluxia has backup!"

"This is—" Axel began.

"—getting old? No shit." Larxene finished.

"If he did have backup, I didn't know about it," Steiner immediately said, fearing they might accuse him. He turned to the direction of the voice, and his jaw nearly dropped when he saw the owner of it. "It's you!"

TO BE CONTINUED


	9. Steiner and Beatrix

(Next chapter is on the way. I bet you're all curious as to WHO the new character is. Well, you shall all find out soon. I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or any of Square Enix's characters or Disney's characters.)

CHAPTER 9

Marluxia sighed with exasperation as he watched the battle from Ansem's computer. "Blasted Steiner," he grumbled, "He's let me down! I knew it was too good to be true!" He slammed his scythe down irritably as he glared hatefully at the image of Roxas. "How dare these weeds make their place in my future garden? And THOSE weeds," Marluxia ranted, pointing to Roxas and Axel, "are the most wretched weeds of them all!"

The question is how could you allow these 'children' to defeat you?

Marluxia turned to one of the side monitors to find out who the new voice was. "Great, now what's going on?" He turned to the side monitor to see a youthful, beautiful woman with shoulder length brown hair walk onto the battlefield. She was dressed in what looked like a white leather teddy, with a white leather cloak worn around it, nylon stockings and white leather boots on her legs and an eye patch over her right eye. "Who the hell is she?" Marluxia wondered, before noting Steiner's shocked expression. "Oho, it seems Steiner knows her," he said with an amused grin. "Let's see how this plays out."

Back in Twilight Town, Steiner's jaw was almost on the floor as he pointed to the newcomer. "It's you!" He exclaimed. "Beatrix!"

"So you remember me after all these years," Beatrix said in an uninterested tone, "I'm so flattered."

"I thought... I thought you were dead," Steiner explained, "I searched everywhere for you, but I couldn't find you ANYWHERE!" Steiner struggled to his feet, using his sword to steady himself. "But all this time, you've been alive and well."

"Well!?" Beatrix suddenly lost her cool. "I was tortured mentally and physically and lost the use of my right eye! YOU never bothered to do anything to help me back there! I thought you loved me, Steiner, but it looks like I was wrong!" Beatrix sniffed back a few tears before drawing her great white sword. "Now, Save the Queen shall taste your blood!"

"No! That's not true," Steiner waved his arms in panic. "That accident wasn't my fault! I never wanted you to be harmed! Please, Beatrix! Hear me out! If you'd just—"

"Shut up! I've had enough of your lies," Beatrix shot, and prepared to attack Steiner, "Normally; I would not attack a wounded man, but in your case—"

Roxas griped both Oath Keeper and Oblivion, as he stood in between Steiner and Beatrix. "Now hold on a minute, here! How do you know for sure he did it anyhow?"

Beatrix just glared at Roxas angrily. "Be quiet, Keybearer," she growled, "This is one of your concern!"

"It IS my concern now," Roxas defied Beatrix, "since you're being so belligerent and narrow minded. After I fought Steiner, I've come to realize that he's not a bad man and most certainly not the type to do whatever he did to you!"

Beatrix held up "Save the Queen" warningly to Roxas. "I won't say it again. This is MY problem, and not something that the wielder of a Keyblade should concern himself with."

"Beatrix…" Steiner wondered if she was lost to him now.

"If you don't get out of my way," Beatrix threatened Roxas, "I will be forced to do this. STOCK BREAK!" "Save the Queen" shone with white light as Beatrix raised the sword up above her head, and struck it against the ground.

Roxas yelped in surprise as columns of light erupted all around him, threatening to engulf and burn him. He jumped and twirled about in the air, trying to dodge the light beams, before he got an opening and dived at Beatrix, spinning like a top and swinging his Keyblades around him, coming at her like a spinning missile.

In response, Beatrix jumped at Roxas and swung her sword at him with all her might.

CHING!

The sound of clashing steel echoed out as Roxas and Beatrix landed on opposite sides. Turning around, they lunged at each other, Roxas with Sonic Rave and Beatrix with Climhazzard, and the sounds of metal upon metal echoed out as Keyblade met Knight Sword, and the two combatants grappled against one another.

As Roxas and Beatrix fought, Axel and Larxene lead Steiner to safety and ran off with him before Beatrix noticed.

"Hmph," Beatrix snorted, "You're not too bad with the Keyblade."

"You're pretty good with your sword," Roxas commented, "But there's one thing," The Key of Destiny informer her.

"What's that?"

"I'm still…BETTER! FINAL BREAK!" Roxas suddenly broke the grapple and struck Beatrix up into the air with the Oblivion, slamming her in the torso, before leaping after her and striking her two more times, raising her higher with each blow.

Before Roxas could strike a finishing blow, though, Beatrix recovered in mid-air and parried his final attack, knocking them both out of the air, and forcing them to land on their feet.

'Damn, she broke my attack,' Roxas cursed mentally.

Beatrix began to look around, noticing that they were all alone. "Wait a minute… Steiner's not here anymore! You tricked me boy," Beatrix glared, gripping her sword, "Do you know what I do to interlopers!?"

"Fortunately for him, he's not gonna find out, because YOU are not gonna do anything to him!" A voice shouted out, followed by a shower of kunai.

Beatrix stared in confusion as a circle of kunai surrounded her, followed by the blonde "antennae hair" woman from before landing in front of her. Suddenly, the kunai began to spark with electricity dangerously before suddenly igniting and trapping Beatrix in a cage of electricity. "What's going on here!?" Beatrix demanded angrily and tried to reach out of the cage. BZZT!! Beatrix was shocked instantly and drew her hand back quickly.

"Larxene!" Roxas exclaimed as the Savage Nymph came in.

Larxene landed on the ground in a hand stand, her pleated skirt flipping and flashing navy blue laced panties. "Heh, you didn't think we'd actually leave you here do you?" Larxene asked rhetorically with a wink and smile as she flipped onto her feet and produced another set of kunai in her hand.

Beatrix growled and gripped her sword angrily. "How dare you! You can't do this to me," she exclaimed angrily.

"I already have," Larxene smirked, "so now it's time to go." She clicked her kunai, and the electrical cage started to shrink around Beatrix.

Beatrix got down on her hands and knees, before huddling up on the ground, to try and avoid the electricity from the shrinking force field, but it was no use as she soon felt the sting of electricity on her back and rump, before her entire body was engulfed in electricity and electrified. Beatrix screamed in agony and reared up as electrical energy pumped through every nerve and muscle in her body, paralyzing her. But as quickly as it came, it quickly went at the same time. Beatrix gasped for air before passing out right on the groaned with a defeated moan. "Steiner…"

"Sheesh," Roxas sighed, "And I thought YOU were a psycho bitch."

"Hey!" Larxene bopped Roxas across the head for his remark.

"Ouch," Roxas grunted and rubbed his head, "Anyway, what do we do with her?"

"Leave her to me," Steiner suddenly appeared before them, "She's my responsibility, and I'm sorry you had to get involved in this."

"What's up with her, anyway?" Larxene asked.

"She's an old flame, long thought dead," Steiner told them, "And her "death," was my entire fault. It all started during a job together, when we were hired by a man named DiZ to exterminate a group of Nobodies loose in Twilight Town. When we finally confronted the white creatures in the tunnels—"

FLASHBACK

Steiner was underneath Twilight Town, in the connecting tunnels as Dusks and Creeper Nobodies were coming at him from all sides.

"FLAMETONGUE!" Steiner's sword ignited into flames as he rushed at a group of Dusk Nobodies, before he swung his flaming blade at them, cutting right through the white creatures and destroying them. Another group of Dusks started to come up behind him, while he was preoccupied with his own group and prepared to strike him, when—

"STOCK BREAK!" In a flash of light, the Dusks were eradicated.

Steiner turned around just in time to seen his sneak attacker vaporized. "What in blazes—"

"Steiner!"

Steiner turned around to see Beatrix running towards him.

"Be careful! There's another wave of Nobodies coming this way!" Beatrix yelled in warning, unaware of the Creepers materializing behind her, transforming into swords to stab her.

"Beatrix! Duck! THUNDER SLASH!" Steiner leapt into the sky and slashed through the air, shooting a wave of electricity Beatrix's way.

Beatrix yelped and ducked, as the lightning wave blasted the Nobodies behind her. When she stood up she looked over to the nearest tunnel to find the next wave of Dusks and Creepers coming towards them. "No," she gasped, "they're already here!" She held her sword tightly.

"Stay close to me," Steiner told Beatrix as they stood back to back, Nobodies surrounding them.

Creeper and Dusks were coming from different sides as the two warriors swung their swords at any creatures that got too close. But no matter how hard or fast Steiner and Beatrix cut down the Nobodies, the white creatures just seemed to re-spawn. Steiner and Beatrix found themselves in a tight spot, as an ocean of Nobodies seemed to surround them. Things looked like they couldn't get much worse. But they did, more so than Steiner could ever realize.

Suddenly, through the sea of Dusks and Creeper, a lone Dancer Nobody leapt out and grabbed Beatrix.

"AH! Unhand me! Let me go!" Beatrix flailed about, trying to break free, but the Dancer tightened it's grip before throwing Beatrix out to the lesser Nobodies, who swarmed over like flies to a piece of meat. "Get away, before I cut you to ribbons!" Beatrix yelled out, but the Nobodies kept swarming her. "S-Steiner! I need help!" Beatrix's cries were muffled Dusks and Creepers piled on top of her.

"Beatrix, no!" Steiner yelled out in horror as he watched his partner become swamped. Determined to rescue her, he gathered up all of his energy into his sword, which sparked and glowed with intense power. He concentrated all of his focus and energy into this one attack, before leaping into the air and releasing it at the Nobodies. "SHOCK!" Steiner brought his sword down and an intense explosion of energy erupted from the sea of Nobodies, engulfing the entire area with light.

Underneath the heavy pile of Nobodies, Beatrix's vision was suddenly obscured by the intense energy storm. "Th-That attack… Is that "Shock?" She suddenly felt the energy intensify as the Nobodies began to disappear, while still hiding onto her. "Steiner..." Beatrix called out before everything went white.

The energy storm seemed to last for about half a minute before it finally cleared down and neither the Nobodies nor Beatrix were found. Steiner nearly dropped his sword in shock at what just happened. "No… It can't be. It just can't! Beatrix!" There was no answer, nor would there ever be for quite some time.

END FLASHBACK

"Since then," Steiner continued, "I looked all through the tunnels for any sign of Beatrix and the Nobodies but found nothing. Eventually I presumed she was dead, until now," he looked at Beatrix's sleeping form and lifted her into his arms. "Frankly I don't blame her for how she feels. I failed to protect her, and most likely my attack left her with one less eye."

"What are you going to do?" Roxas asked.

"What else?" Steiner asked rhetorically. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to make amends…" He turned around, Beatrix still in his arms, and he began to walk off somewhere into town.

In Steiner's arms, Beatrix began to stir. "Mmmm… What happened?" She suddenly looked up to see Steiner above her. "S-Steiner? You've saved me? I don't understand…"

"Beatrix," Steiner began, "just hear me out when we get back, please," he looked at her with a stern, yet pleasing look.

"…Alright," was all the Beatrix could say, before she closed her eyes and went into a state of rest once more.

Meanwhile from the laboratory, Marluxia was pretending to choke and make gagging noises at the scene he saw. "Cough, HACK! Oh how disgusting!" Marluxia acted like a heckler in a theater audience before he switched the monitor that showed Beatrix and Steiner off in disgust. "Bah! That went terrible!" He slammed the floor with the bottom of his scythe. "It seems that I'm going to have to eliminate Roxas and his friends myself!" He glared hatefully at the image of Roxas. "Mark my words, Roxas," he threatened the image, "I won't allow you to mock and make a fool of me any longer!" He took out a small vial of pink fluid from his breast pocket. "It looks as though I may have to employ a use for this after all."

When Beatrix awoke, she found herself in what looked like the inside of a fancy hotel room. One would not expect the living quarters of "Faris' Pirate Brig" to look so well kept, but Faris always insisted not to judge by appearances. 'A bounty hunter/mercenary,' Beatrix thought as she lay upon one of the soft beds, her light brown hair spread out like a lion's mane, 'So this is the kind of life Steiner leads now, ever since that day.' That's when she realized how she felt a little light, on clothing that is. Sitting up she noticed the chair in front of her bed, where her battle uniform/armor was draped, and that her hourglass body was clad in only her frilled light blue satin bra and panties. She also had some bandages covering her slender legs and thighs as well as her stomach, no doubt to patch up lightning burns.

Steiner came in at that very moment, his torso armor and helmet off leaving him shirtless, his face showing concern as he brought in a warm drink for Beatrix. "Ah, you're awake. How are you, Beatrix?" He gazed at her beautiful face, and couldn't help but feel regret as he saw her right eye which was white and pupil-less, signifying that Beatrix was permanently blind in that one eye.

"I'm…fine." Beatrix felt a bit awkward in her position, as she watched Steiner deposit the drink on the side table. "Steiner," Beatrix asked as she took the drink in her hand, "Can I as you something?" She took a sip of her drink.

Steiner already knew what she wanted to ask. "Do you want to know what REALLY happened, do you not?"

"Yes," Beatrix nodded, "I thought that you had abandoned me and let the Nobodies take me away…" She shuddered at the memory of her trapped in the darkness, a mere play thing of the Nobodies. They had tortured and abused her physically and mentally, trying to reduce her to a catatonic state so they could extract her heart for their own. The Nobodies sneered and jeered at her, filling her head with lies, and telling her that Steiner had abandoned her and left her to their devices.

Steiner shook his head and looked her dead in the eye. "I tried to save you," he told her, "I used "SHOCK" to try and drive the Nobodies away from you. But at that very moment, it seemed as though the ones that held you captive escaped at the last moment. I searched high and low through Twilight Town but couldn't find you… It was then that I thought they had killed you," Steiner shivered, "I failed you. I'm sorry."

Ever since she had escaped, Beatrix had wanted vengeance against Steiner for his "betrayal" and "abandonment." But now, it was clear that she was merely manipulated by the Nobodies. When she saw how sad and remorseful Steiner was, and how he looked her in the eye and told her the truth, she couldn't be angry. "Oh Steiner," she whispered, a tear coming from her blind eye, "come here," she motioned for him to come close.

Steiner moved in closer to Beatrix's bedside and leaned over. In one second, Beatrix's arms were around him as she hugged him tightly for all it was worth, her body pressing up against his bare chest. "You're forgiven," she whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry too," she kissed his cheek lightly.

TO BE CONTINUED


	10. Roxas' Musings Namine's Doubts

(Sorry about the lack of updates, folks. I was struck down with two colds, one after another, plus I've been a little busy with Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. Anyway, now I shall grace your presence with a (really long overdue) chapter, to show that I haven't died just yet. Well what do you suppose was in that vial we saw? What's Marluxia up to and how's he going to carry it out? Read on and find out what's in store for everyone. I still don't own Kingdom Hearts or any Square Enix/Disney characters.)

CHAPTER 10

CHING! CHING!

Roxas swung both of his Keyblades and deflected the blazing chakrams coming at him, sending them back into the hands of their thrower.

Axel caught his chakrams in a flash and disappeared in a flash of fire, only to reappear as a ring of fire that erupted all around Roxas and began to quickly close in all around him.

"Nice try," Roxas said, "but I'd rather EAT barbeque rather than BE it." With that he high jumped and twirled out of the fire ring, just as it closed up in a flaming column, slowly becoming Axel once again.

"Fire!"

"Pearl!"

Axel shot out a fire spell directly at his escaping foe, while Roxas countered the fire spell with a ball of light magic. Both light and fire connected with one another and exploded, sending smoke all around the field. Axel suddenly burst out of the smoke, chakrams out and blazing, but was unprepared for what would come at him.

"BURST EDGE!" Roxas fired both of his Keyblades like knives which shot out and struck Axel, seeming to lock him in place. Roxas then leapt up after Axel and grabbed the hilts of his Keyblades, shouting "OVERTAKER!" He gave a quick double strike combo and slammed Axel right into a wall.

No sooner did Axel hit the ground, did he disappear in a flash of fire and reappear behind Roxas and toss his chakrams at him like two flaming wheels.

Roxas jumped over the wheels of fire and swan dived at Axel, spreading out his Keyblades in attack the moment he contacted with Axel.

Axel fell over onto his back but back flipped right back to his feet and snapped his fingers. His chakrams instantly halted their wheeling and launched themselves back towards Axel and Roxas.

Roxas turned around just in time to see the returning weapons and barely had enough time to narrowly dodge as the chakrams just BARELY flew by him, shredding his jacket to bits and burning up the rest. Roxas cursed loudly and ripped off the flaming remains of his jacket and threw it to the ground. "Shit! That was my favorite jacket," Roxas cursed.

"Aw, send me the bill," Axel taunted with a smirk.

"The only bill you'll be getting is your own hospital bill," Roxas shot back, brandishing the Oath Keeper and Oblivion Keyblades.

"My bill? Don't you mean yours?" Axel griped his chakrams tightly.

Both former Organization members stared each other down, daring the other to make his move for what seemed like nearly a quarter of an hour. Finally with a yell, both fighters charged each other like raging bulls, weapons right out in front of them.

SHWIP! SHWIP! SHWIP!

Roxas and Axel both froze in mid-run as three kunai suddenly appeared between them stuck right in the ground, crackling with electricity. Both turned their heads to the source of the distraction to find Larxene smirking and tapping her foot.

"Hey," Larxene called to them, "Why don't you guys take a break already? You've been sparring for an hour and I'm getting exhausted just watching you."

"An hour?" Axel repeated.

Roxas glanced at his watch. "Whoa, she's right," Roxas added, "It looks like we got too wrapped up to notice the time." He twirled his Keyblades about before making them vanishing into thin air, until they were to be used again.

"Eh, sorry about your jacket, Roxas," Axel said sheepishly as he sent his chakrams back into space.

"Well it WAS my favorite jacket," Roxas said with disgruntlement in his voice as he glanced at what remained of his white jacket, but shrugged it off, "Ah well; I've got plenty more like it." That's when he noticed Axel and Larxene leaving together. "Hey, whoa! Where are you two going?"

"Flame head promised to take me out to lunch," Larxene said with a smile as she latched onto Axel's arm; something to which Axel had no objection to.

"Oh, I get it," Roxas started to snicker, "A little lunch, leading right up to a round of S&M am I right? It figures. When Larxene and Axel are out to play, they always make sure to play rough." The Key of Destiny burst out laughing at his joke, which earned him both a Fire and a Thunder spell thrown his way. "Whoa!" He jumped back just in time before he could get burned/shocked.

"Knock it off!" Larxene and Axel shouted at him, blushing.

"Lighten up guys," Roxas said nervously, not wanting to anger his former superiors any further.

"Need I remind you of how you're playing with Olette and Naminé?" Axel chided with a smile, "P-L-A-Y-E-R. Got it memorized?"

Roxas just blushed madly. "Axel!"

"You know you can't do this forever," Larxene told him seriously, "Eventually you're gonna have to choose one."

Roxas groaned softly, "I know. It's gonna be hard, because I love them both," He clutched his head and groaned with exasperation, "I can't have everything, yet I want everything! If I want everything I'll end up with nothing! I'm screwed either way!"

"Roxas…" Axel looked at his friend with sympathy.

"Ahhh," Roxas sighed, "I'm sorry to bother you guys with my problems like this. But you're right Larxene, I will have to choose. I just have to choose wisely." He turned around. "You guys go on with your lunch date; I just remembered that I have to go deliver something to Demyx." With that, Roxas ran off into the heart of Twilight Town.

Axel couldn't help but exchange a worried glance at Larxene. "I dunno, Larx," He said uneasily, "I'm kinda worried about him."

"Axel," Larxene smiled a genuine, sympathetic smile for once, "That's sweet of you to worry about him. But, come on, he's not a baby. I'm sure he'll come out ok. Besides, as long as he's got us and that goof Demyx, he's got people to fall back on."

"Yeah, you're right," Axel agreed, "But still I can't help but worry about him ya know? He and I go way back since the beginning of the Organization."

"Yeah, I know that you big softy," Larxene teased, "But come on, have a little faith in blondie there. After all he was able to whip your butt twice in a row, I hear," she giggled, remembering what Roxas had told about the days before he was reunited with Sora.

"Aw man, I can't believe he babbled that one to you," Axel grimaced.

Larxene snickered and kissed Axel on the cheek, "Come on you big goof, let's go."

Axel smiled at Larxene. "Alright then." They walked off in the opposite direction to go on their lunch date.

Roxas, meanwhile, was walking the streets, alone with his thoughts, having used delivering to Demyx as an excuse to get away. Larxene's words had reminded him that he couldn't just play around with Naminé and Olette forever; and that he had to choose which one he loved sooner or later. But which one DID he love the most? On one hand, there was Naminé, whom he had known for so long since they were Sora and Kairi, or part of Sora and Kairi anyway. Naminé had even helped to remind Roxas of who he was, when he had forgotten due to DiZ/Ansem the Wise's influence. On the other hand, there was Olette. While they hadn't known each other as long as Roxas and Naminé, they still had a strong bond, since they first met when Roxas was placed in Twilight Town. Olette had first felt like a sister to Roxas, but over time it started to get deeper, and more loving. Just WHO did Roxas have deeper feelings for? If he chose one, what would become of the other? Would she be heartbroken? Would she hate him for life? So many questions ran through Roxas' brain, and the images of Naminé and Olette were calling to him in his mind.

"Roxas… Over here, Roxas."

"No, come here Roxas…"

"Roxas…"

"Roxas…"

"YO! ROXAS!" Demyx's face suddenly appeared and yelled out.

"AAAAAAH!" Roxas nearly jumped out of his clothes as he snapped out of his thoughts and found Demyx looking at him with an amused smirk. "Damn it, Demyx! You scared the crap outta me," he shrieked.

Demyx recoiled back at Roxas' outburst and waved his hands in defense. "T-Take it easy," he soothed, "I just noticed…" Demyx suddenly had a sly grin on his face. "I just noticed that you had a dreamy look on your face. Are you thinking about Naminé?"

Roxas mega blushed at Demyx's inquiry and lowered his head with embarrassment. "Kind of," he mumbled.

"Kind of?" Demyx playfully taunted.

"Yeah, kind of… It's because I'm thinking about Olette too!" Roxas froze, realizing what he had just blurted out.

Demyx's smirk grew into a grin. "Oho. I get it now," he said slyly. "It sounds like there's a little love triangle going on, hm?"

"AGH! Demyx, please!" Roxas mega blushed, flustered. "It's not funny!" He looked down at his feet. "I gotta choose which girl, carefully. But no matter who I chose, I risk hurting the other girl's feelings. I'm not even sure which girl I love more than the other."

"Man, that's sounds tough," Demyx said, "What exactly are your doubts?"

"Well, for Olette, I'm not sure if I love her as a sister/friend or something more. As for Naminé, I'm not sure if I truly love her, or if I feel INCLINED to love her, because of our pasts as somebodies. Yet at the same time, now that I have my own heart, I know that the memories of our somebodies were genuine and so were the feelings between us," Roxas explained.

"So you're worried that your feelings for Naminé might just be you living in the past when you were part of Sora, or that your feelings for Olette are just brother/sister feelings?" Demyx asked, as if he were a therapist.

"That's pretty much it," Roxas told him, "So the only thing I can do at this point is think and choose carefully. But either way, one will love me while the other's gonna hate me."

As Roxas and Demyx spoke with one another, Marluxia watched from the shadows, tapping his finger against the handle of his scythe as he listened and thought. "So, Roxas is frolicking in the garden of love, hm? And one of those girls is that witch, Naminé?" He started to grin evilly as his grip on his scythe tightened. "This gives me such a wonderful idea. I think it's time I paid a visit to the Mansion." He twirled his scythe around and disappeared in a swirl of rose petals.

Meanwhile, at the White Mansion…

Naminé was out in the front yard working on some of her newest artwork. Her current piece was that of two young lovers surrounded by a strange city of darkness, which oddly looked like the Twilight Town of "The World That Never Was." To make things even weirder the young couple, despite different styles of clothing, had some uncanny resemblances to Naminé and Roxas. Naminé pulled her pencil away to look at her sketch for a moment. She sighed a little to herself. "I wish it really could be like that… But what if the feelings aren't even real? What if they're just illusions for us, made up by Sora and Kairi's feelings? Can we really like each other if they're just "borrowed" emotions?" Like Roxas, Naminé was worried that what she felt for Roxas was merely a borrowed emotion or an illusion, created by Kairi's love for Sora. She just wished she had the answers she could seek.

"Ah, still drawing I see…and of you and Roxas no doubt? Very interesting…hehehehehe…"

Naminé tensed up at the voice behind her, clutching her sketch book to her chest and slowly turning around, only to look up into the face of the one person whom she never wanted to see again.

Roxas was still chatting with Demyx about his "girl problem" when a soft gentle voice echoed out, and its tone filled Roxas with fear.

'Roxas! Help! Please help me!'

'N-Naminé!?' Roxas' eyes filled with fear at the desperate and pleading tone of Naminé's voice.

"Roxas? Roaxs!" Demyx waved his hand in front of Roxas, worried about the boy's frightened look.

Roxas said nothing, but took off in the direction of the White Mansion.

"Roxas!" Demyx shouted after Roxas and took off after him, hot on his heels. 'What's up with him? He looks like he just saw a ghost and then took off.'

Olette was just finishing off some sea-salt ice cream outside of the sweet shop when she saw Roxas running past with Demyx hot on his heels. "Roxas?" She too began to chase after him, wanting to find out what was wrong. "Demyx!" She called out as she ran beside the Melodious Nocturne. "What's going on?"

"I don't know! Roxas just had this freaked out look on his face," Demyx explained, "before he took off! He seems to be heading for the White Mansion though!"

"White Mansion?" Olette started to think to herself before she suddenly thought of something. "Oh my god, what if something's happened to Naminé!?" Both she and Demyx started to pick up the pace as they watched Roxas disappear into the crack in the wall, which lead through the forest and to the White Mansion.

Roxas kept running as fast as he could, his leg muscles burning with kinetic energy as he raced through the forest. When he finally reached the gates of the White Mansion, he noticed how wide open they were and that wasn't a good sign already. Once he ran into the front yard, he froze in his tracks. Bushes had been shredded, a few statue heads had been broken and crumbled on the ground and papers of sketched artwork lay littered across the ground. "N-Naminé…?" Roxas called out warily as he looked around. Suddenly is eyes came across two more littered items; Namine's sketchbook and her pencil.

At that same moment, Demyx and Olette came rushing into the garden.

"Roxas!"

"What the hell happened here!?"

Roxas turned to his two friends with a horrified expression. "Naminé! She's been kidnapped!"

"Kidnapped!?" Demyx repeated the word.

"By who?" Olette asked.

Roxas took a closer look around and found red rose petals among the littered papers. Bending over, he picked one up and took a closer look at it, before tightening his grip and crushing the petal in his hand. "Marluxia!"

TO BE CONTINUED


	11. Illuminating the Dark Flower Pt1

(Next chapter on the way…finally…after so many weeks… It looks like Marluxia's made his move, and Roxas is none too happy about it. Bad enough he's torn between girls, but now one of them has been kidnapped! What's he gonna do? I don't own KH, or any of Square/Disney's characters.)

CHAPTER 11

"Ohhhhh… My head… Wh-Where am I?" Naminé moaned in discomfort and dizziness, as she slowly began to come too. Her vision was hazy for a while, only allowing her to make out faint shapes and colors with small flimsy shapes fluttering about in the air, but soon it began to clear up enough allowing Naminé to focus on her new surroundings. She found herself in a rose garden of some sort, surrounded by many roses of many colors. Rose petals were floating all around like dust particles and giving a strange atmosphere to the garden. When she looked closer, she realized she was trapped in the center of a giant red rose. Naminé tried to move herself out of the rose. "OW!" She felt twinges of pain all over and felt immobilized. Looking down at her body she found the source of her discomfort and immobilization; she appeared to be bound to the rose center by thorny rose vines wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her side and binding her legs together. To make matters worse, the thorns were gradually sticking into her, so one wrong move and she'd start bleeding uncontrollably.

"Comfortable, my dear?" A familiar voice inquired, dripping with sarcasm.

Naminé looked up, with a moan, to see the sneering face of the Graceful Assassin leering down at her. "Marluxia…"

"Nice to see you remember," Marluxia sneered again, "especially after all that you and Roxas' other caused." He narrowed his eyes at the girl. "Oh, the hate I have bored for him and for that fool Axel," Marluxia growled with rage, "Axel! He ruined it all! The power of the Keyblade was in my hand and he threw a monkey wrench into my plans!" He tightened his grip on his scythe and smiled viciously. "But I'll get my revenge on the both of them. And YOU, Naminé, are going to help me whether you like it or not!"

Naminé lowered her eyes at Marluxia in defiance. "What if I refuse, even if it means dying?"

Marluxia shook his head. "Oh believe me, there are far worse things than death. For I have control over these roses AND the giant rose you're being held in. That means I can control those thorny vines and the thorns themselves. Please…allow me to DEMONSTRATE!!!" Marluxia's face flashed a look of insane glee as he snapped his fingers.

"Uh…Ah…Aaaaah!!" Naminé cried out in pain as she felt the thorns dig into her skin, her nerves igniting with sheer pain, bringing tears of pain and agony to her eyes as they dove in deeper. Naminé whimpered in pain and discomfort as little drops of blood began to seep out and drip down her skin, staining her white dress with crimson blots.

Marluxia smiled viciously as he watched Naminé bleed. "Ah… Your blood is so red like the rose," he reached down, smeared some of Namine's blood onto his finger tips and examined it, before licking it off with his tongue. "Oh yes, this blood is so pure and rich. It will be perfect for my death bloom rose."

"D-Death Bloom?" Naminé whimpered as tears poured from her eyes and ran down her cheeks.

"The very flower you're pinned too," Marluxia explained, "It's absorbing all the blood bled from you." He pointed to the blood dripping from Naminé's wounds, as he studied her body.

"Wh-What are you looking at!?" Naminé demanded.

"I see it now," Marluxia started to grin evilly.

"See what?"

"I can see why Roxas loves you so much," Marluxia told her as he began to stroke Naminé's leg, going right up her thigh.

"S-Stop…please, stop it," Naminé shivered in fear at Marluxia's touch as more tears fell.

Marluxia kept on stroking Naminé's thigh however, moving closer to the hem of her dress, before gently taking it in his hands, clutching the hem and then forcefully ripping the fabric up past her bellybutton exposing Naminé's white cotton panties with red hearts, and her bare stomach. "Nice hearts, by the way," he whispered dangerously, feeling the hem of her underwear.

Naminé was starting to sob at this point, both in humiliation and in pain; pain from the piercing of the rose thorns, and humiliation at Marluxia's molestation of her.

Marluxia suddenly took his hand away, shaking his head. "No," he said, "I'm not going to do that…just yet," he started to chuckle cruelly. "First of all, I'm going to let you watch as I kill your little boy toy and that flame headed backstabber, right before I humiliate and kill you."

Naminé just glared hatefully at Marluxia as she sobbed bitterly.

Meanwhile, at the White Mansion, Roxas was trying to keep himself from going into a panic as he paced up and down. "Damn it… Damn it… Goddamn it," he kept muttering/cursing to himself.

"Roxas," Demyx began warily, "Maybe you should…"

"What!? Calm down!?" The Key of Destiny beat interrupted, finishing the Melodious Nocturne's sentence. "How the hell can I!? Naminé's been kidnapped! And by Marluxia of all people! We don't even know where we should start looking for them! URGH!" With a cry of frustration, Roxas ran off into the forest in a vain attempt to search for his dear friend.

Olette watched Roxas take off in worry, feeling helpless to do anything for him. "Oh, Roxas…"

Roxas half walked/half ran through the forest and back onto the streets of Twilight Town, not even sure where he should search for Marluxia first. All he knew is that once he found the Graceful Assassin, he'd make sure to gut the flowery bastard with his own scythe. Raising both hands outwards, in two flashes of light, the Oath Keeper and Oblivion Keyblades in his hands. "Marluxia!" Roxas shouted out to the sky, "I know you can hear me! I'm sick and tired of your games and tricks! If you want to fight me so badly why don't you tell it to my face!? I dare you! Why don't you come down right here and say to my face that you want to fight me, instead of hiding like the flower fairy coward you are!?"

Suddenly, Roxas was surrounded by a storm of rose petals that seemed to appear out of nowhere. He frowned deeply as they swirled around his ears. "About time he showed his girly face," he muttered. Sure enough, the rose petals started to concentrate and swirled into a form right in front of Roxas, who witnessed the materialization of the very person he had called out.

As the rose storm died down, Marluxia stood there sporting a cruel smirk as he looked at Roxas, tapping his fingers on the handle of his scythe. "Well, hello Roxas," Marluxia said, mockingly, "It's so nice to talk to a former team mate after so long." His voice was dripping in sarcasm.

"Likewise, I'm sure," Roxas said with an equal amount of sarcasm, "Now cut the small talk! I know you took Naminé and that you want to fight me!" He pointed one Keyblade at Marluxia. "So let's just cut to the chase!"

Marluxia just continued to smirk, chuckling at Roxas' eagerness. "Straight to the chase and cutting through all the red tape," he teased, "very well then. I don't want to disappoint you if you're so eager to die. If you want to see Naminé so badly, then follow me and defeat me…if you can!"

"Damn you!" Roxas swung one of his Keyblades directly at Marluxia out of anger and frustration.

In a loud swoosh sound, Marluxia's form combusted into a shower of rose petals that swirled about in the wind, in the direction of Twilight Town.

Roxas cursed loudly and pursued the escaping mass of rose petals, his footsteps beating against the sandstone pavement. "Trying to escape, huh!?" Roxas growled at the runaway petals, "come back and face me!"

Roxas chased the escaping rose petal cloud on winged feet, running from the opening in the wall and deep into the market place. He ran right past the accessory and synthesis shops, up to the entrance into the market, past the weapon and item shops and into the direction of the sandlot. Once he reached the sandlot, he saw the rose petal cloud swirl about like a dust devil in the middle of the Struggle arena. Gripping his Keyblades, Roxas muttered to himself. "Finally we settle this…traitor."

The "rose devil" started to concentrate right in the middle of the Sandlot arena, taking the shape of a human man. The "rose man" then outstretched one arm and another group of rose petals swirled out of his palm and started to mold into the shape of a long scythe. The petals suddenly froze in mid air and in flash of pink light, the petals scattered away, revealing Marluxia in his Organization XIII cloak. "Traitor?" Marluxia chuckled, "I could very well say the same about you. You didn't exactly stay true to the Organization either. I guess you could say it takes a traitor to KNOW a traitor. Hahahaha…"

"Where's Naminé!?" Roxas demanded and pointed a Keyblade in Marluxia's direction.

Marluxia shook his head and sighed. "A one track mind you have there, Roxas. And such a bad tampered one. I don't know how that moron, Axel, can stand to be around you." He looked up with a smirk. "Fine then. If you want to see Naminé so badly, then I'll have her brought here." Marluxia started to knock the blunt end of his scythe on the arena floor.

Suddenly the entire area began to shake violently, as an earthquake suddenly shook up the Sandlot. Both the arena and the ground around it began to crack and split under the violent vibrations. What looked like plant roots began to grow and emerge out of the crack and crevices in the ground, spreading across the sandlot like the threads of a spider-web. Then, a series of cracks and rumbles echoed out as the ground of the arena was blown apart into a shower of earth, gravel, and brick. In the cloud of dust and dirt, a flash of red suddenly rose from the ground, revealing it to be the closed up head of a giant rose. The rose's head of petals rose from the ground, red as human blood, followed by the long green stalk that was covered all over with needle sharp thorns each being a meter long.

Roxas stepped back as the giant rose emerged from the ground, his eyes widening as more and more of the rose came into view. "What the fuck IS that thing!?"

"Oh this? This is my pride and joy," Marluxia said as he stood underneath the rose, "The Death Bloom. It's a special giant rose that I've been breeding in my garden. It doesn't require sunlight or water however. It requires a very special kind of liquid diet and I've already got the perfect feedbag for it. Want to see?" He nudged the Death Bloom's stem.

The Death Bloom started to open up in full bloom, its petal spreading out all over and revealing its center…and what was inside the center.

Roxas's jaw dropped and his eyes flashed with anger at what he saw.

There sat Naminé, bound up in thorny vines and bleeding profusely from her arms, legs and torso. Her skin and torn white dress were all stained with blood, while her pretty face was stained with tears, to show that she had been crying for a long time, most likely in pain. Her face bore an expression of pure torment and agony.

Roxas growled and his grip on both Keyblades tightened angrily. "I can't believe you would do something like this…" His eyes narrowed dangerously and his teeth grit tightly as he glared hatefully at Marluxia. "You have REALLY crossed the line this time Marluxia!"

Marluxia just snickered. "Oh come now, Roxas…"

"Don't "Oh come now, Roxas" me, you twisted excuse for a gardener!" Roxas snapped.

Marluxia gave a challenging look. "Well what are you going to do?"

"Do?" Roxas asked with mock ignorance. "I'll tell you what I'm gonna 'do.' I'm going to harvest that rose, get Naminé out, and then I'm going to jam a Keyblade up your ass, petunia man!"

A snarling frown curled Marluxia's lips as he gripped his scythe and pointed it threateningly at Roxas. "You'd better watch who you call "Petunia Man," boy," he snarled, "Don't forget who you're talking to!"

"Oh I know who I'm talking to," Roxas shot back, "I'm talking to a pink haired fruitcake!"

"Oh that's it!" Marluxia raised his scythe above his head. "Roxas, prepare to die!" He launched himself at Roxas and swung his scythe at Roxas' face.

CHING!

Roxas instantly blocked Marluxia's scythe, forming an X-shape with his Keyblade and struggling to keep Marluxia back. "The only…one…who's…going…to die…is…you!" Roxas broke the X, knocking Marluxia back, and jumped at the Graceful Assassin swinging his dual Keyblades at him.

Marluxia held his scythe up in defense, letting Roxas' Keyblades beat against the scythe handle if it were a Japanese drum. "Enough!" He twirled his scythe around like a propeller, knocking Roxas away and vanishing in a flash of petals.

Roxas recovered in mid-air, preparing to land, when Marluxia suddenly popped up in front of him in an instant and swung his scythe at him. Roxas swung a Keyblade back and parried Marluxia's attack, causing the pink haired scythe user to lose his concentration and leave his self open for an attack. "PEARL!" Roxas aimed the Oath Keeper Keyblade like a gun and started firing a stream of light pearls at Marluxia that surrounded the 11th member and engulfed him in a column of light energy.

"AUGH!" Marluxia cried out as he was engulfed in an intense light spell that burned into his skin like fire.

The moment the light spell ceased, Roxas launched the Oblivion Keyblade at Marluxia like a boomerang, striking and stunning him for a moment before pointing the Oath Keeper Keyblade and performing a Sonic Rave attack, cleaving right through Marluxia's body and snatching Oblivion right out of the air.

Marluxia cried out in pain as he felt Roxas' Keyblade, along with Roxas himself, cleave right through his body. He stumbled back but kept himself from falling over by propping himself up with his scythe. "Heh…not bad…"

Roxas smirked smugly at his foe. "What's wrong Marluxia? You seemed to be lagging behind."

"Lagging?" Marluxia feigned surprise and shock, "Oh please. I'm not lagging. I'm just…merely…biding…my…TIME!" He threw up his scythe into the air, where it span about in a tight circle, before darting right over Marluxia and Roxas…only to come right back around over the ground like a high speed wheel, cleaving right through Roxas' body.

Roxas cried out in pain as he felt a quick rush of wood and steel cut right to the bone through his body and knocking him into the air, right where Marluxia wanted him.

Marluxia vanished in a flash of petals and dark energy, only to reappear right above Roxas and slash at him with his scythe.

RIP!!

Marluxia's scythe cleaved right through Roxas' jacket, shredding it instantly, and would've shredded Roxas as well, if the Key of Destiny had not dodged in time, loosing his jacket, spin jumping away and landing with both feet on the ground. "Hmph, I lose more jackets that way," he said defiantly.

Marluxia swore in frustration and tore the remains of Roxas' jacket off his scythe's blade.

Roxas leapt up into the air and began to glide straight towards Marluxia with both Keyblades out, ready to bring them down on Marluxia's head.

Marluxia, however, had other plans. The moment he saw Roxas coming towards him, he stuck his scythe in the ground, wrapped his arms around his self, and a set of deadly thorns erupted from his skin, covering his body like the quills of a hedgehog or porcupine.

Roxas' eyes widened as he saw Marluxia become a living pin cushion, and he veered off course, jumping to the side and narrowly avoiding colliding with the thorns. "What in the name of Oblivion!?"

"Behold, Thorns of the Rose," Marluxia explained, "my lone defensive ability. I may have my petals but even I know that I need some other forms of protection. So even if you get past my petals Roxas, you still have to deal with my thorns."

"Urgh, it's true what they say," Roxas grumbled, "Every rose has its thorn. But this rose has one too many."

"You think they're bad now," Marluxia grinned, "Wait until you see what else they do!" Suddenly the thorns broke off of Marluxia's body and began to swirl around him much like the rose petals could. "Don't get too close now, unless you want to be slashed to ribbons!" Marluxia cackled as he started to float towards Roxas, his thorn blades whipping about everywhere.

Roxas cautiously backed away, passing by a barrel as he did so. He then watched as Marluxia floated toward the barrel and his thorn shield immediately slashed the barrel into toothpicks and splinters. "Oh shit," Roxas muttered worriedly. "Pearl!" Roxas shot an orb of light from his Keyblade directly at Marluxia. PING! It was merely deflected by the spinning vortex of thorns. "Damn it," Roxas cursed, "If I don't move it, I'm going to be cut to ribbons!" He started running, with Marluxia straight on his tail. 'Oh god, don't let him catch me!' Roxas thought, 'How the hell am I going to save Naminé now!?' As Roxas was trying to figure out a new strategy, he tripped over one of the Death Bloom's gigantic roots, falling on his front. He scrambled to get up, only to find Marluxia towering over him with his scythe in hand.

"Isn't this ironic, Roxas?" Marluxia cackled as he raised his scythe above his head, "We have a traitor about to be executed by a traitor!" He swung his weapon down.

CHING! From out of nowhere, a chakram sailed through the air and ricocheted off of Marluxia's scythe, breaking Marluxia's concentration, causing him to dissipate his thorn shield, and throwing him off target.

Marluxia fumbled with his scythe and almost dropped it as he missed Roxas completely, along the Key of Destiny to scramble away. When Marluxia regained his composure, he stood up and looked around angrily. "Who threw that!?"

"Hey, Marly!" A mocking voice called, "still picking on any kid who wields a Keyblade?"

Marluxia turned to the source of the voice and snarled at the person who interfered. "Axel!!"

Axel stood there, Chakrams in hand, with a confident smirk on his face. "That's my name, don't wear it out."

"Argh! Why must you constantly get in the way of everything I do!?" Marluxia demanded angrily.

"Simple," Axel told him, "Because you're always up to no good! Even with a heart, you're no good!"

Marluxia snorted at Axel's revelation, "Well that's because the wish Sora made was the wish of an absolute fool! I don't really care whether I have a heart or not! All I want is the power to control! That's why I seek the Keyblade's power; to hold the universe in my grasp! And if I can't do it through Sora, then Roxas here is the next best candidate! And let me tell you something, Axel…" Marluxia held his scythe out, gripping it in both hands. "This will be the last time you ever interfere in my affairs again!" He lunged at Axel, swinging his scythe for his head.

SHINK! SHINK! SHINK! Marluxia cried out in pain as three kunai struck him in the arm and knocked him out of the air, making him land on his shoulder.

"THAT is for tempting me over to your harebrained hostile takeover, and dragging my down your road of ruin!" Larxene appeared, kunai in hand, with a challenging smirk on her face. "Don't you know the saying? What goes around comes around?" She giggled mockingly.

Marluxia's eyes narrows in hatred. "Larxene… So you would turn on me too!?" He stood up on his feet, rage burning in his eyes. "Axel…Larxene…I was a fool to let any of you in on my plan! It appears that I was all alone in my quest…well that's just fine! I'll terminate the both of you! RAGH!!" Marluxia started to spin swing his scythe and body in a vertical circle, turning himself into a human saw blade and digging into the ground, shooting up dirt, gravel and stone. "Here I come!" He started to buzz saw towards Axel and Larxene.

"Whoa!" Axel jumped off to the side and shot a chakram at Marluxia. But the Graceful Assassin was spinning SO fast, that the Flurry of Dancing Flames' weapon bounced right off.

Larxene started firing a swarm of kunai, trying to penetrate through Marluxia's spinning blade, but to no avail.

While Larxene and Axel kept Marluxia busy, Roxas had sneaked off to the Death Bloom to rescue Naminé. He climbed slowly but carefully up the giant flower, using the long thorns as ladder steps. Falling off this flower would be the LAST thing Roxas wanted to do, fearing that one wrong move could get him impaled. He climbed up; grasping thorns in his hands while stepping on others surprised how well they held his weight. Finally he was right below the flower itself and he searched for an opening. He looked to his left and noticed a "bare spot" on the rose, where he could easily grab onto the edge and climb into the center. Roxas started to sway back and forth, putting his gymnastic skills to good use and giving himself some steam until he swayed backwards, almost going over the thorn. Then he swung forward and released the thorn, doing a flip in mid air, fired out his hands and grabbed the edge of the flower, holding on for dear life. When he had a good grip, he placed a foot against the flower and lifted himself inside. Immediately he found himself in a garden of thorny vines and saw Naminé bound up in the middle. Roxas whipped out his Keyblades and glared at the vines in concentration. "It's amateur gardener time," he told himself. Roxas swung his Keyblades about in perfect motion, slicing the thorny vines up, and sending pieces of them all over the place. He hacked and slashed the thorns like a jungle explorer making his way through dense vegetation. Vines snapped, thorns flew about, and roots were uprooted as Roxas hacked at everything in his path. Finally he reached Naminé who was bound up in securely by the vines and was bleeding profusely because of it. "Damn it," Roxas thought aloud, "she's really bound up tightly. How am I gonna get her free without injuring her anymore than she already is?" He looked down at the center of the rose, which seemed to be pulsating as it fed on Naminé's blood. He suddenly got an idea of how to free Naminé. He stuck the Oblivion Keyblade back in his belt, while he gripped both hands on the Oath Keeper. He aimed the blade end of the Keyblade right at the Death Bloom's center below him and raised the Keyblade up. He took a deep breath, stretched his body out as he lifted the Keyblade high, before yelling out and plunging the Oath Keeper deep into the core of the Death Bloom.

The giant monster of a rose emitted a high pitched scream as light suddenly erupted from its entire form. Its roots suddenly burst out of the ground, standing on end and twitching violently.

Marluxia suddenly halted his attack, feeling something in his power being disrupted. He turned around, only to see the Death Bloom, erupting with light and twitching erratically. "Wh-What!? NO! My Death Bloom! ARGH!" As the Death Bloom seemed to twitch and writhe in pain, Marluxia began to feel a deep tightening in his body, as well as the loss of energy. He dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach and foaming at the mouth. "No! I won't let it end like this! Not now!" A black vortex opened up beneath Marluxia, blowing rose petals all around him, and he slowly sank into the vortex before disappearing completely.

Deep inside of the Death Bloom, the thorns that bound Naminé crumbled to ash, dropping her onto the "floor" beneath her.

Roxas scooped Naminé up into his arms and ran for the opening he came through, before leaping straight out of the wilting giant rose. Roxas hit the ground with a "thud," holding onto Naminé protectively, as the Death Bloom wilted back onto the houses behind it. He stood up, worried about how Naminé was faring, when he heard a soft moaning. He looked down and noticed Naminé was stirring; beginning to wake up. 'She's ok,' he thought with relief and happiness, 'I wasn't too late.'

Naminé's moaned weakly as her pretty eyes solely began to open. Her vision was blurry, and she was unable to make out anything, or even move due to the amount of blood she had lost thanks to Marluxia's rose. But when her vision started to clear, she was greeted with the sight of Roxas's empathetic face looking down at her with a relieved smile. "R-Roxas?" She croaked weakly. "Is…that you?" She reached up, placing a soft hand on Roxas' face.

"Yes Naminé," Roxas said, fighting back the tears, "You're safe now… I freed you. You're not going to be Marluxia's prisoner anymore."

"Roxas…" Naminé began to cry her own tears of joy and relief, before summoning up the strength to reach up and embrace him, burying her face in his chest and crying softly. "I was so scared…I thought I was all alone again, with him keeping me confined to my own personal prison…" She shivered like a child in Roxas arms.

Roxas embraced Naminé back, finally letting his own tears fall on Naminé's bare back as he hugged her for all it was worth. "You're ok now, Naminé. Nothing bad will happen to you ever again… I'll make sure of it." 'I wonder if this is how Sora and Kairi felt when they touched,' Roxas thought.

Axel couldn't help but smile at the scene before him. "Awww… They actually look pretty cute together. I never figured Roxas was the romantic type." He suddenly felt two arms encircle him and a weight lean on him.

"Cute together?" Larxene teased as she nuzzled Axel with a sly smile, "Axel, are you going soft on me?" She giggled.

"Hey, we all have our soft sides," Axel said as he hugged Larxene close, with a grin "besides, I think we look good together too, don't you think?"

Larxene grinned back at him, pressing her body against his, and kissed his cheek. "You big goof," she said affectionately.

All seemed to return to normal at Twilight Town, with the battle over…or so they thought.

Deep in the wilted dead petals of the Death Bloom, Marluxia arose from the center, a look of fury on his face. "Over? Is it over? Oh not by a long shot, fools…in fact…it's just beginning!" The symbol of the Organization suddenly flashed in the center of the giant rose, and dark energy suddenly began to spread out through the Death Bloom, as thorny vines encircled Marluxia, who began to merge with the deadly flower. Oh things were far from over…

TO BE CONTINUED


	12. Illuminating the Dark Flower Pt2

(Well, here it is. After that LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG overdue chapter 11, I now bring you the final chapter of Hearts of Vengeance. Marluxia isn't down yet! He's got one last trick up his sleeve… I don't own Marluxia, Roxas, or any of the Kingdom Hearts characters. Either Square-Enix or Disney own them.)

CHAPTER 12

Deep in the wilted dead petals of the Death Bloom, Marluxia arose from the center, a look of fury on his face. "Over? Is it over? Oh not by a long shot, fools…in fact…it's just beginning!" The symbol of the Organization suddenly flashed in the center of the giant rose, and dark energy suddenly began to spread out through the Death Bloom, as thorny vines encircled Marluxia, who began to merge with the deadly flower. Oh things were far from over…

"HEAL!" Roxas cast another Cure spell on Naminé, trying to heal her wounds.

"O-Ow!" Naminé yelped as her stinging wounds closed up and healed their selves, leaving only a few small dry scars and cuts on her arms, legs and belly. Also, the Cure spells seemed to be gradually returning Naminé's strength, allowing her to sit up on her own.

"One more spell, and those scars should disappear," Roxas said and held out his hand, "HEAL!"

Naminé was surrounded by yellow and green light and showered with glowing clovers of energy. She once again felt her strength return and the scars started to fade. "Ahhh…that's much better," she sighed as she started to stand up, when she nearly tumbled back down.

"Whoa!" Roxas caught Naminé before she bumped her rear.

Naminé giggled with embarrassment. "Sorry, Roxas," she blushed, "I guess I'm still a little light headed."

Roxas shook his head and chuckled. "Naminé, you're just so cute sometimes," he said aloud, then immediately realized what he just blurted out and mentally slapped his self.

"E-Eh!?" Naminé's blush went deeper at what Roxas had just said about her. 'C-Cute!? He thinks…I'm cute?' Her heart started to pound fiercely in her bosom.

Roxas blushed, himself, and tried to think of something to say as he helped Naminé to her feet. His mind, however, seemed to be drawing a blank on what to say. He didn't think the situation could get any more awkward than this.

WOOSH!

A strong breeze suddenly blew, lifting up the two ripped ends of Naminé's ruined dress and blow them back, and flashing her heart printed panties to Roxas and giving him a full view of her belly button. "AH!" Naminé tried desperately to cover her panties up, blushing the deepest shade of red possible as her blonde hair flowed about in the wind.

Roxas flushed madly and turned away immediately, trying to be a gentleman until the wind died down. That's when he noticed the Death Bloom, still wilted against the buildings behind it. Suddenly, the giant plant twitched once, catching Roxas' attention. "What the…" Suddenly it twitched for a second time…then a third, then a fourth, until it just started twitching spasmodically. "The hell!?" Roxas gawked in horror at what he was saying.

Axel and Larxene snapped to attention, hearing Roxas' shout, and soon sported the same look of horror as they watched the Death Bloom's revival scene unfold.

The Death Bloom's stalk and head rose up off of the buildings, the petals quickly regaining their color as the stalk began to strengthen up. The roots, on the other hand, did not burry themselves back in the ground. Instead they started to move about independently and stood the giant flower up like muscular spider legs. The rose head closed up tightly as it raised up and started to flail about wildly like a whip before freezing in place and opening up slowly once again, with something new inside besides blood red petals. The olive skinned, muscular toned upper body of a human-like figure began to emerge from the flower head. It had strong broad shoulders covered with rose thorns, but instead of arms, long thorny vines seemed to sprout from each shoulder into the shape of arms, growing up to two giant rose "hands." On its muscular chest, the Nobody symbol of Organization XIII shone brightly. On its head it had long flowing hair made up completely of green leafy vines, along with glowing red eyes on effeminate gentle looking face. The petals began to wilt and scatter away, making more room for the humanoid body to mount on the stalk perfectly, only for a second rose bud to arise from the creature's back and bloom out into a another giant red rose head, dripping with blood. The beast flicked its vine hair back as its mouth curled into a razor toothed snarl.

Roxas whipped out the Oath Keeper and Oblivion Keyblades once again, ready for a fight. "What IS that thing!?"

Axel looked all around, before turning back to the creature before them. "Not what… The question is WHO."

"Who?" Roxas shot Axel a confused look.

Axel drew out his chakrams and glared at the new Death Bloom. "Yeah, who. Roxas, that's not just the Death Bloom, anymore. That's actually Marluxia!"

"Are you serious!?" Roxas looked at the giant plant beast before him, looking at the face for a moment, suddenly recognizing the bone structure. "Damn it… So it looks like he wants one final showdown."

Larxene whipped out her Kunai and stood, ready for battle. "Number XI just doesn't know when to quit, does he?"

The Death Bloom studied the three opponents before it, a snarl curling its lips in hatred. Rearing its head up, the creature roared loudly before opening up its "flower hands," and spraying a rain of thorns at its targets.

"Stand back!" Axel pushed Roxas, Larxene and Naminé back and raised a hand up. A wall of fire columns shot up in front of the group, incinerating the thorns as they came into ash.

"Thunder!" Larxene stepped out after the fire wall dissipated and summoned a rain of thunderbolts upon Death Bloom, only to be given an unpleasant surprise. "Wh-What? It's…absorbing my magic!?"

As Larxene's thunder magic struck, Death Bloom's giant flower seemed to glow white with power, absorbing Larxene's thunder magic as it was struck.

"Fire!"

"Pearl!"

Axel and Roxas fired Fire and Holy spells at Death Bloom, only to have their magic attacks absorbed as well into the beast's giant flower, which glowed brightly with power as its "hands" did the same. Death Bloom hissed at the former Nobodies with a razor tooth smile it opened up its right flower hand, and shooting a large bolt of lighting at them

Axel, Larxene, Roxas, and Naminé all jumped out of the way, as the lightning bolt blasted by them, shattering the piece of ground that it struck, turning it into dust and gravel.

Death Bloom wasn't finished, however as it opened up its left rose hand as well, firing light energy from it while it shot out a stream of fire from the other, creating a beam of dual elements swirling on top of each other in a tight spiral, striking the ground in front of its prey.

BLAM!

The 4 former nobodies were blasted straight into the air by the impact of the blast, before being slapped straight back down into the pavement by a strike from Death Bloom's vine hair.

Roxas grunted as he lifted himself up off the ground, spitting out a cloud of dirt. "So, magic's out," he muttered out loud.

"That means we've got to use physical attacks," Axel finished as he too stood up, "any magic we throw, he'll just absorb it into that big flower on his back. I've heard of a monkey on your back, but a giant rose on your back? That's new to me."

"Save the jokes for later, Axel," Roxas chided, "once we've clipped this rose's petals." He twirled his Keyblades about before gripping the handles tightly. "It's time to pull up this weed!"

"A weed, am I?" Death Bloom suddenly bellowed in Marluxia's voice, "well this weed is making his home in your garden and he's not going anywhere! Go ahead and use your "weed killer" on me! See I if I fall!"

"GLADLY! Let's see how you like my Burst Edge!" Roxas fired both of his Keyblades at Death Bloom like a pair of boomerangs.

Death Bloom swung his flower hands at the incoming Keyblades, trying to knock them out of the air, but before his "fists" could make contact, the weapons darted off into separate directions, confusing the creature, before striking and cleaving through his upper body from both sides.

Roxas leapt forward, catching his Keyblades as they came back to him, before striking Death Bloom in the pectoral muscles with a double Keyblade combo flurry, beating Death Bloom's chest like a Japanese Drum with his weapons. As the creature stumbled backwards Roxas shot forward giving an X-shaped swipe with both Keyblades, striking the monster's chest once more, and causing rays of light to burst out of the creature's chest and engulf it in a blast of energy. When the light cleared, Death Bloom's legs had buckled underneath and its upper body slumped backwards in exhaustion, 3rd degree burn marks all over it.

"There!" Roxas shouted as he landed on the ground. "How do you like that!?"

Death Bloom suddenly rose up with a furious look, as it once again spoke in Marluxia's voice. "I didn't like it at all. And I'm going to make you pay for it!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Axel leapt forward, his chakrams blazing with angry red fire, before launching them at a confusing angle.

Death Bloom sported a confused look as it watched the chakrams scattering in a loopy confusing patter, before they shot up into the air and back down, cutting right through his stomach muscles and bursting out of his back. "HRAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Death Bloom roared and stumbled around again, its eyes narrowed in fury. "Alright, enough of this!" Its flower hands bloomed upon wide and released a blinding storm of pollen at the two former nobodies.

Roxas and Axel were suddenly bombarded with a pollen blizzard so thick, that they couldn't even see their hands in front of their face.

"Hahaha, you fools," Marluxia's voice echoed out, "You honestly think that magic was the only think my flower was absorbing? Don't you remember anything in Science/Botany class? Flowers absorb and store sunlight to grow strong and nourish themselves. My flower does the same, but it also stores the sunlight for another use; as a special attack!"

Death Bloom suddenly tucked its entire upper body underneath its giant rose, which it mounted like a cannon and aimed at Axel and Roxas, the petals glowing white bright white light and sparks of energy showing to be drawn into the massive flower, concentrating into a large ball of energy. "SOLAR CANNON!" The flower suddenly let loose a large stream of concentrated solar energy directly at Axel and Roxas, leaving the two fighters little time to get out of the way, before they were engulfed by the blast completely.

When the blast finally died down, Roxas and Axel were lying flat on their backs on the pavement right next to the girls, burned up all over, and barely breathing. The solar blast had hit them dead on, almost incinerating them, and it looked as though they were about to die.

"YES!! Now who has won you fools?!" Death Bloom once again spoke with Marluxia's voice, "Now, once I extract your power, Roxas, I can harness the power of the Keyblade and rule this world! Of course, I'll make sure to pay a visit to that brat Sora. Boy will HE be in for a surprise! HEHEHEHEHEHE!!!" Death bloom roared at the sky with laughter, raising its flower hands up in triumph.

"Ooooh," Naminé moaned softly as she woke up. She turned to over to her side, just in time to see Roxas, lying on his back, almost dead. "R-Roxas? No!" Naminé lifted herself up and crawled over to Roxas, tears spilling from her eyes as she looked at the Key of Destiny's badly scorched body. "Roxas, wake up! Please! Don't die! You CAN'T die!" Naminé started to scream hysterically, beating against Roxas' chest. "R-Roxas…" Naminé choked out, tears streaked down her blue eyes in sorrow as she laid her head down and sobbed into Roxas' chest. "Roxas…don't leave me again…please…" Her tears pitter-pattered against Roxas' chest as she gripped his shirt tightly.

Axel coughed weakly as he struggled to lift his head up. His blurry vision could make out Naminé over Roxas' body, and by the sounds of Naminé's tears…he could already assume that the worst had happened.

"Roxas! Axel!"

Axel looked over, to see Demyx and Olette running over to the scene, horrified not only at the sight of Death Bloom/Marluxia, but also at the state of those who were fighting against them.

Olette was particularly horrified at the state that Roxas was in; motionless, badly burned, and not breathing. Tears pricking her eyes, she walked forward to the weeping Naminé. "Roxas," she said quietly, "Naminé …is he…is he…?"

Naminé just looked back at Olette with tearful, bloodshot eyes, choking back sobs, her facial expression saying it all.

Demyx was shaking all over as he cried tears of rage for his fallen friend, before casting a hate filled glare at Death Bloom/Marluxia and whipping out his sitar. "MARLUXIA!!"

Death Bloom stared at Demyx before scoffing at him, "Oh look, it's the Melodious Nocturne," he jeered, "what are you going to do? Sprinkle my flowers? Don't waste your time."

Demyx growled defiantly and simply shouted, "Dance water, dance!" He strummed his sitar causing high pressure water geysers to erupt underneath Death Bloom one after another, before they dissipated, revealing an unimpressed creatures standing there, with nothing more than water droplets in its hair and its flowers.

"Heh, thanks for the bath, fool," Death Bloom sneered, shaking the water out of its hair, "but you need one too, so allow me." He opened up a flower hand and sprayed a high pressured water blast, knocking Demyx off of his feet and into a set of crates, smashing them into splinters. "Oh dear, got washed away?" Death Bloom cackled sarcastically.

Naminé glared at Marluxia tearfully as she held Roxas's head in her arms. "Marluxia…monster… I won't forgive you, ever! You took away everything from us…and everyone… I want it all back…especially Roxas…" She closed her eyes and shed a few more tears.

Naminé's last tears fell upon Roxas' face like rain, gleaming like diamonds in the sunlight. Suddenly, those teardrops began to shine brightly, before evaporating into vapor. A bright light began to trace itself on Roxas' chest through his black shirt, drawing what looked like the image of two Keyblades crossed together in an X. It was Roxas' Organization XIII emblem; the Key of Destiny. Roxas' eyes suddenly shot open, glowing with white light, before he suddenly rose from Naminé's arms into the air, where he slowly moved to an upright position, before touching the ground with both feet. Both the Oath Keeper and Oblivion Keyblades materialized in his hands before he closed his eyes, shutting out the light, and opening them up to reveal his determined crystal blue eyes. Suddenly his black shirt started to lengthen and flared out all over, fabric rustling, and transformed into his Organization XIII cloak.

Naminé's eyes widened and she gasped deeply as she witnessed Roxas' resurrection; amazed, but also relieved and overjoyed that he was alive. "Roxas…you're alive… You came back!" Naminé's started to smile as she cried with joy.

Roxas looked at Naminé and smiled warmly. "I had to," he said quietly, "I couldn't let my friends down; not when we finally get to live our own lives, instead of being just Nobodies."

"Oh Roxas!" Naminé fired out and hugged Roxas tightly, feeling the warmth of his body against hers. "Roxas…"

"It's ok Naminé," Roxas said as he hugged her gently, "I'm not dying anytime soon."

Death Bloom/Marluxia was in absolute disbelief at what it/he was witnessing, "What…IS this?! You're dead! You're supposed to be dead!" Death Bloom hissed in fury.

"Supposed to be, maybe," Roxas said calmly, as he turned towards Marluxia, "But as you can see, I've still got some fight left in me. And I'm gonna use that fight to rip through you!"

Death Bloom glowered at Roxas threateningly, even challengingly. "Oh really? Well, I think someone needs another thrashing from my Solar Cannon!" Death Bloom's upper body huddled up underneath as the rose covered it up and mounted on its spider legs like a cannon once again, and began to gather and focus solar energy from the sun, concentrating it into a tight beam. "Say goodbye! SOLAR CANNON!" The rose unleashed its intense blast of solar energy for the 2nd time.

"Not this time!" Roxas shouted; crossing his Keyblades in the shape of his emblem, as the solar ray struck.

BRRROW!

The solar beam was suddenly stopped in mid fire, looking as if it were striking an invisible wall. In front of Roxas, a light image of his Organization symbol had been produced and was keeping the ray of solar energy back.

Axel couldn't help but smile weakly at his revived comrade as a recently recovered Demyx helped him to his feet. "Go get him Roxas…"

Demyx smiled too as he stared administering Hi-Potions to Axel, "Looks like Roxas isn't one to let even death stop him," he said as he helped Axel drink down a Hi-Potion.

Olette was doing her part as well, as she slipped a Hi-Potion to Larxene, her face moist with tears of joy and relief as she watched Roxas fight back. "Show him what you're made of Roxas, we believe in you!"

Roxas kept his concentration as he kept the solar beam back, before he started to speak to his teammates. "Everyone, listen to me," he spoke, "I figured it all out. I know a way we can beat this thing. That giant rose on his back is what's giving him most of his power. So if we destroy that first, he won't be able to absorb anymore sunlight or magic. So here's what we're gonna do; I'm going to deflect his attack right back and that should damage the rose enough for it to lose its power. After that, all of you aim your magic directly at the rose before he gets the chance to recover, got it?"

Axel, Demyx, and Larxene all nodded in agreement.

Roxas faced Death Bloom with a hard look and gripped his Keyblades as he summoned up his Nobody element of light. "CLEAR LIGHT!" The Key of Destiny Symbol suddenly shone with a blinding flash of light that pushed the solar beam back towards what fired it. Roxas' ears were filled with a loud burning sound along with the scream of a human man. When the light cleared, Roxas saw Death Bloom struggling to stand as its rose looked severely burned with a few petals wilting off of it. "NOW!"

"FIRE WALL!" Axel spread his chakrams out and sent a wall of fire upon Death Bloom, setting the giant plant's flower ablaze.

"DANCE WATER DANCE!" Demyx strummed his sitar and showered Death Bloom with a shower of water blasts, extinguishing the flames, but also soaking and heavily drenching the plant. "This weed's nice and wet now," Demyx said, "and you know what that makes it vulnerable too."

Larxene giggled as she wiggled her kunai between her fingers, "Oh, you know I do. THUNDER!" A large thunderbolt shot from the sky and struck Death Bloom head on; being conducted by the electricity intensified the force of the shock until the giant rose suddenly burst apart, its petals crisping into ash immediately.

The upper body of Death Bloom reared up shrieking in agony and rage.

Roxas leapt up into the air and floated for a moment as he focused his sights on Death Bloom's exposed chest. Gripping his Keyblades, he started spinning around like a top, his Keyblades acting like saw blades, before shooting himself head first. Roxas span faster as he sailed through the air, before he plunged straight through Death Bloom's chest, piercing the flesh, sending plant matter and green blood everywhere, before plunging out through the other end, once more sending blood and plant matter about, but also knocking Marluxia straight out of the creature and grinding him straight into the ground.

Death Bloom shrieked bestially as it rose it's "hands" to the sky, before it turned brown all over with rot and crumbled into dry dirt, spilling onto the ground.

Roxas know stood over the fallen form of Marluxia, who lay motionless on the ground, breathing raggedly.

Marluxia weakly picked up his head to glare at Roxas. "My Death Bloom…you killed it…and now…you've killed me… First Sora, and now you… I still can not take the Keyblade's power for myself…" He moaned weakly as he felt his life slip away. "Is this…the…end?"

Roxas's face remained expressionless. "Goodbye, Marluxia…"

Marluxia closed his eyes for the final time, as his head laid back against the earth and he breathed his last breath. It was all over. The Graceful Assassin was dead.

Roxas exhaled and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Finally… He's gone."

"Roxas!"

"Huh?" Roxas turned around, only to be met with a tackle hug from Naminé, who wrapped her arm around Roxas' shoulders in a tight embrace.

"Roxas! You did it!" Naminé laughed cheerily as she hugged Roxas, "You beat him!"

Roxas blushed and smiled embarrassedly at Naminé's affections. "Eheh… Take it easy Naminé!" He laughed, "I just did wh-umph!" His words were cut off as Naminé pressed her lips against his in a kiss. 'Whoa,' he thought as he slowly melted into the kiss, 'I wonder…is this how Sora and Kairi feel when they kiss? No, I can't think about that anymore… We're not Nobodies anymore; no longer empty shells. We're real people now, and these are just the emotions we feel as them. Naminé…' Roxas' mind took a rest as he felt himself slowly kiss back.

From afar, Olette watched as Roxas and Naminé kissed, and couldn't help but feel a pang of jealously in her heart as a tear slid down her cheek.

Olette's tear did not go unnoticed, however, as Demyx turned to her with worry and concern. "Olette? Are you ok?" He knew all to well what Olette was crying about.

Olette shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'll be fine… It's just that…"

"I know, I know," Demyx said as he patted Olette's shoulder.

After he Naminé broke their kiss, Roxas looked over to see a less then happy Olette looking over. 'Olette,' Roxas thought, 'I'm sorry, but I've made my decision…' "Naminé, could you just excuse me for one second? I need to take care of one thing."

"Go ahead, Roxas," Naminé nodded in understanding.

Roxas made his way over to Olette, unsure of what he was going to say to her. 'What CAN I say? I've…probably crushed her…' He was now standing right in front of her. "Olette, I…"

Olette sniffled, but put on a smile, "I see you've made your choice, Roxas…"

"Olette I," Roxas was silenced with a finger to the lips.

"No it's ok Roxas," Olette said, "Somehow, deep in my heart, I had a feeling you'd choose Naminé. After all, there is more to you and her than just being Sora and Kairi's Nobodies."

She was right there, even Roxas himself knew that.

"It's just that…I was hoping, wishing against fate that it could've been me..." Olette wiped away a tear.

"Olette?"

Roxas and Olette turned to see Naminé right by them, looking at them worriedly.

Olette still kept up her smile, despite feeling pretty low. "Looks like Roxas chose you after all…the better girl one, huh?"

Naminé looked away guiltily, "Oh Naminé, I'm really sorry… I wish there was someway we could both have Roxas…"

"Now wait a minute!" Roxas suddenly interrupted. "Olette, just because I'm in love with Naminé doesn't mean I don't still care about you. Hell, I need both of you in my life, not just one over the other." He put an arm around each of them and hugged them close, kissing Naminé sweetly on the lips while giving a big kiss to Olette on her cheek.

This cheered Olette right up, drying her tears and allowing her to smile a genuine smile. "Oh Roxas… You're such a sweetheart," she said, feeling much better.

"That's why I love him," Naminé giggled.

Olette suddenly cast Naminé a sly look. "You know, if you don't take good care of him, I may be forced to scoop him up off your hands."

Naminé returned the sly look playfully. "Or we could always share him."

Roxas blushed at that thought. "Sh-Share me!?"

"Hey, you're too good to let go," they grinned in unison, before both girls kissed Roxas his cheeks.

Axel couldn't help but laugh at the look on his friend's face when he was kissed from both sides. "Ah, Roxas… You're such a Casanova. Got it memorized?" He was about to spell it out when a certain blonde nymph stole it from him.

"C-A-S-A-N-O-V-A." Larxene mocked Axel's line with a playful grin.

"Oh, hey! That's my line!" Axel mock scolded her. "Are you trying to copy me or something? Didn't know you thought that highly of me," he joked with a grin.

Larxene merely snorted and punched Axel affectionately in the ribs. "Big goof," she smiled and kissed him on the lips.

Demyx smiled as he looked at all the love going around. "Those guys are so lucky," He thought to himself with a little jealousy, "I hope I can get some love in my life some day…"

THE END


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